Major US Telecom Providers Form C2 ISAC to Coordinate Cyber Threat Sharing
Eight major United States communications firms have formed a new cybersecurity information sharing group to help telecom providers share threat intelligence and respond more quickly to cyber risks.
AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Lumen Technologies, T-Mobile, Verizon and Zayo have established the Communications Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Analysis Center, known as C2 ISAC.
Communications networks are a foundational aspect of the digital economy, with telecom providers supporting critical functions such as business connectivity, mobile communications, cloud access, customer support systems and identity verification. Telecom networks are attractive targets because of the volume and sensitivity of the information they carry, and any disruption or compromise in those networks can ripple far beyond the carriers themselves.
The launch of C2 ISAC comes as the communications sector faces ever more complex cyber threats driven by political espionage, criminal activity and AI. The Salt Typhoon campaign, which targeted telecommunications providers and raised concerns about access to call records and communications data, illustrated how difficult it can be for any single provider to see the full threat picture alone. The founding companies said C2 ISAC is designed to create a trusted setting where technical experts from member companies can share information and coordinate defense strategies.
The new group builds on decades of public and private collaboration through the National Coordinating Center for Communications, also known as COMM ISAC, which was established in 1984 to promote information sharing among government agencies and private communications companies and currently includes more than 85 industry and government partners.
The C2 ISAC launch also comes at a moment of uncertainty for federal cyber coordination. Security Boulevard previously reported that cybersecurity professionals have raised concerns about proposed cuts to CISA at a time when nation-state threats to critical infrastructure are increasing. CISA has played a central role in connecting federal cyber intelligence with private sector operators, including communications providers and other critical infrastructure organizations. The new group is designed to be led by communications companies while drawing on leadership experience from government and public-private cyber coordination.
C2 ISAC will be governed by an initial board made up of chief information security officers from the eight founding companies. Valerie Moon, a veteran cybersecurity and homeland security official, will serve as executive director and oversee daily operations. Moon brings experience from roles across public-private cyber coordination, including work with CISA, the FBI and other organizations.
“The C2 ISAC will strengthen individual member organizations and support the resilience of the nation’s critical communications infrastructure,” Moon said in a release. “I look forward to getting started.”
Rich Baich, inaugural chairperson of the C2 ISAC board, said Moon will help guide the group’s early efforts to share threat intelligence and coordinate defensive action among member companies.
“Cybersecurity threats are more sophisticated and persistent than ever,” Baich said. “With Valerie Moon serving as the executive director, the C2 ISAC is well positioned to expand trusted collaboration across the communications sector and help members address emerging risks.”
C2 ISAC is expected to begin operations in June. The founding companies will now have to demonstrate that C2 ISAC can turn threat sharing into a practical channel for faster detection and response across telecom networks. For enterprise security teams, the group’s formation is another reminder that telecom security is not isolated from the larger cybersecurity ecosystem and that sector-wide coordination will be essential to protecting the networks that businesses, consumers and government agencies rely on every day.
