U.S. Commerce Dept. probes ICT supply chain risks
In a recent report for legal intelligence expert JD Supra, Scott Bouboulis notes that on September 20, 2021, the U.S. Department of Commerce's (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a Notice of Request for Public Comments (RFC) on Risks in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) Supply Chain.
The RFC calls for comments on cybersecurity and supply chain challenges for the ICT sector and will inform a federal report on ICT supply chain resiliency. Comments are due on November 4, 2021.
The report stated that BIS issued the RFC pursuant to President Biden's Executive Order (EO) on American’s Supply Chains.
As noted by Bouboulis, "Specifically, as covered in a previous Wiley Alert, the EO charged the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with other agencies, to submit 'a report on supply chains for critical sectors and subsectors of the [ICT] industrial base.' ”
The JD Supra write-up adds that "according to the RFC, for purposes of the report, the scope of the ICT industrial base consists of:
- Hardware that enables terrestrial distribution, broadcast/wireless transport, satellite support, data storage to include data center and cloud technologies, and end-user devices including home devices such as routers, antennae, and receivers, and mobile devices.
- “Critical” software (as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in relation to EO 14028.
- Services that have direct dependencies on one or more of the enabling hardware.
Global sustainability goals hinge on ICT
A new piece at Sustainable Brands (SB) notes that the latest edition of the Tau Index provides a glimpse into what nations are poised to lead in sustainability initiatives, thanks to ICT technology.
As described by SB, "the Index ranks 144 countries based on their ICT infrastructures and ecosystems, including how well they are utilizing ICT to create more sustainable economies."
The SB piece goes on to interview Tau Institute founder Roger Strukhoff, who said that what will sets the "sustainability nations" apart is “a certain willingness to think beyond their front door.”
“Without optimal use of ICT and maximum support from the tech industry, there will not be a sustainable world,” adds Strukhoff.
Study yanks ICT emissions U-turn: They're worse than thought
Re: the news item directly above: that's all to the good. Because Phys.org has this month published word via a study from Lancaster University (England) which indicates that "emissions from computing and ICT could be worse than previously thought."
According to the reporting, "A team of researchers from Lancaster University and sustainability consultancy Small World Consulting Ltd claim that previous calculations of ICT's share of global greenhouse emissions, estimated at 1.8-2.8%, likely fall short of the sector's real climate impact as they only show a partial picture."
The study's authors add that these emissions will continue to rise significantly, unless action is taken.
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