Cybersecurity & Tech

Lawfare Daily: FCC’s Bad Labs Rulemaking with FCC’s Andy Hendrickson and Alice Jou

Justin Sherman, Andy Hendrickson, Alice Jou
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 7:00 AM

How are devices in the U.S. tested and certified for use in labs?

Andy Hendrickson, the chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET), and Alice Jou, the chief of staff and deputy chief of OET, join Lawfare Contributor Justin Sherman to discuss the process for testing and certifying devices in the United States, the offshoring of that apparatus, and how some countries do not allow foreign bodies to certify equipment sold in their borders. They also discuss the national security risks of certain offshoring or foreign-owned or -based testing and certification bodies, a “Minnesota” lab that was actually based in China, the FCC’s “Bad Labs” rulemaking on the problem, and the future of the supply chain and risk space.

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Justin Sherman is a contributing editor at Lawfare. He is also the founder and CEO of Global Cyber Strategies, a Washington, DC-based research and advisory firm; an adjunct professor at Georgetown University; and a nonresident senior associate at CSIS. He is the author of the book "Navigating Technology and National Security."
Andy Hendrickson is the chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology.
Alice Jou is the chief of staff and deputy chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology.

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