ANACOM - Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações has created a reporting centre for operators to notify security breaches or losses of network integrity. This information must be given in real time and whenever security breaches or losses of integrity occur which significantly affect the operation of telecommunications networks and services.
With the reporting centre on line, transparency in the sector is enhanced, since all operators and users will be aware of the existence of the incidents.
The new centre, to which telecom companies will have to submit information, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; reporting takes place whenever an incident occurs. The obligation to notify has been in effect since December, but reporting took place on a monthly basis.
All security breaches or losses of integrity must be notified when they cause serious disruption to interconnected networks or to services provided to users. The notification obligation exists from the moment an interruption occurs that affects at least 1,000 users for a period equal to or exceeding eight hours. Operators are also required to notify ANACOM whenever incidents occur which affect calls to 112, the European emergency number and calls to Portugal's 115 national emergency number; or, for example, when there are breaches of security or losses of integrity occurring on networks and services offered by a company in the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, lasting for at least 30 minutes, regardless of the number of users affected.
In addition to notifying ANACOM, operators are also required to inform the public by publishing information about the incidents on their web sites.
The circumstances, format and procedures applicable to companies with obligations to notify security breaches or losses of integrity having a significant impact on the operation of networks and services were defined by ANACOM determination of 12 December 2013.
