125
MICHAEL T. McCAUL. TEXAS 
CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Ajit Pai 
Chairman 
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February 16, 2017 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 121h Street SW 
Washington, DC 20554 
Dear Chairman Pai: 
BENNIE G. THOMPSON, MISSISSIPPI 
IIANI<ING MEMBER 
Congratulations on your designation to serve as the Chairman of the Federal Communications 
Commission (FCC). I look forward to working with you. 
On September 28, 2016, I sent a letter to then-Chairman Wheeler regarding my ongoing 
concerns regarding potential security vulnerabilities in the new the Number Portability 
Administration Center (NP AC) contract. I am extremely disappointed that the FCC was unable 
to respond to my letter in the nearly four months between receipt and the Administration 
transition. 
Given the importance of this issue, I respectfully request that the FCC review the concerns in my 
September 2016letter and provide a response no later than March 3, 2017. 
Thank you for your attention to this matter. 
enclosure 
' 
Chairman 
Subcommittee on Counterterrorism 
and Intelligence 
. 
MICHAEL T. Mc CAUl, TEXAS 
CHAIRMAN 
BENNIE G. THOMPSON, MISSISSIPPI 
RANKIIVG MEM BER 
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September 28, 2016 
The Honorable Tom Wheeler 
Chairman 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 12th Street SW 
Washinf,rton, DC 20554 
Dear Chairman Wheeler: 
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC), with support from law enforcement and 
intelligence agencies, has mandated important security requirements as part of the contract for 
the Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC). It is my understanding that the FCC 
worked closely with other Federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and 
the Department of Homeland Security, to determine what additional national security 
requirements were necessary for inclusion in the NPAC contract. While I commend these vital 
coordination efforts, I am writing to express my continued national security concerns related to 
the NPAC contract. 
As you know, the continued functioning of the NPAC is essential for the American public and 
provides law enforcement with critical investigative tools. The construction of the new NP AC 
system and subsequent operations must be secure from both cyber attacks and espionage. The 
NPAC operator has unique access to nearly every phone call made within the United States. The 
integrity of the phone database must not be compromised either through the construction or the 
system or its day-to-day operation. 
It is my understanding that the FCC has already encountered security violations with the new 
contractor. In addition to the remediation measures already underway, I am writing to ask the 
FCC to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a vulnerability 
assessment of the NPAC system under development and address and identified vulnerabilities. 
Additionally, I urge you to conduct a third party review of the system to ensure security 
measures are in place. As you know, there are a number of qualified, vetted Federally Funded 
Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) that could be utilized for this purpose. Moreover, 
I have concerns that the FCC lacks robust monitoring and auditing mechanisms to verify that the 
security protocols are being followed. 
The completion of the new system is still several years away. Therefore, there is time to ensure 
that the new system is secure and that your agency has programs in place for rigorous oversight 
over the contact. I respectfully request a written response to these concerns not later than 
. . 
October 31 , 2016. Please contact Mandy Bowers on my staff at 202-226-8417 if you have any 
questions. 
Thank you for your attention to this matter. 
.• 
?;~? 
PETER T. KING 
Chairman 
Subcommittee on Counterterrorism 
and Intelligence 
cc: The Honorable Jeh Johnson, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security 
The Honorable James Corney, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation 
.•