Professor Appointed to FCC Advisory Subcommittee

Professor Thomas Nachbar of the University of Virginia School of Law has been appointed to a Federal Communications Commission advisory subcommittee that’s helping make sure callers’ voices won’t get cut off in case of an emergency.

The Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council provides the FCC with recommendations that promote the resiliency of the nation’s communications systems.

Nachbar will serve as a member of the subcommittee that is looking at security vulnerabilities affecting Session Initiation Protocol, the signaling technology that makes possible the creating, modifying and terminating of electronic communications sessions. These sessions include internet telephone calls and other types of multimedia conferencing and distribution.

Because SIP is used to initiate voice sessions, it is also important for 911 service. The FCC has directed the council to develop best practices to address any vulnerabilities.

Nachbar has both practiced and published in the field of telecommunications law. He authored, with Professor Emeritus Glen Robinson, the casebook “Communications Regulation.” His research focuses on the nature of regulation: how the law is used (and by whom) to shape and control behavior.

He is also an expert in national security law, and serves as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve and as a senior fellow at the Center for National Security Law.