Two US senators from opposite parties want the telecommunications industry to follow a common set of cybersecurity best practices. Adoption would be voluntary, and there would be an optional certification for companies that can show they follow them.

Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the Telecommunications Cybersecurity and Resilience Act on Thursday. They pointed to the Salt Typhoon campaign, in which Chinese hackers broke into nearly all of the major US telecom providers over several years.

“The Salt Typhoon intrusion was the worst telecom hack in our nation’s history and showed us just how vulnerable our critical infrastructure is, but it does not have to be that way,” Warner said. “If telecommunications companies adopt cybersecurity best practices, our networks can be more resilient.”

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Russian drone attacks on Kyiv this week hit data centers and telecom facilities, cutting or degrading internet access for thousands of people in the Ukrainian capital and the surrounding region.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported partial connectivity losses at no fewer than four providers after Wednesday's strike. The affected networks were Kyiv Link, Pautina, Utels and Crazy Network, which serve Kyiv as well as other parts of Ukraine.

According to Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation, roughly 100,000 households in Kyiv and the wider region had internet problems after the attack. Repair crews were sent out to assess the damage and bring stable connections back online.

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