For federal, state, and local governments, data security is top of mind – and it should be. Cyberthreats are becoming increasingly common in our digitally connected world, and for governments housing personally identifiable information (PII), classified documents, and matters of national security, protecting data is more important than ever. How can governments effectively identify risks and take the right steps to protect their data? We explore this topic and more in the following stories.
To better protect data, lawmakers are considering a unified, national data privacy law that would replace the multiple laws found throughout different states. Although a solution wasn’t agreed upon during the first House Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee meeting, we can expect to hear more in the future. The issue with data privacy starts with how data is tracked and used, which is different throughout the states.
“Without a comprehensive federal privacy law, the burden has fallen completely on consumers to protect themselves and this has to end,” said committee chairwoman Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois. Her hope is to develop legislation that not only protects customers but promotes competitiveness throughout the markets.
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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hearings on data security in December of 2018 focused on the current threat environment and the potential solutions available. Malcolm Harkins, Chief Security and Threat Officer for BlackBerry Cylance, joined the ‘Data Security Assessments’ panel, where cyber insurance, data risk, and security were discussed, as well as the misperception of risk.
“That misperception is guided by the biases that we all bring to the problem based on our backgrounds, our education, the budgets we’ve got, the psychology, the sociology of things. And so, when I look at misperception of risk as a vulnerability, the mitigation for it is diversity of perspective. I always try and inject a diverse perspective to ensure that the contrast and the contours of the dialogues occur,” said Harkins.
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Federal agencies are implementing technologies like 5G, quantum computing, and blockchain that change their data risk environment. With these new technologies, come changes in policy and security, but most of all, efficiency.
“Advancements in 5G communications, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing are poised to fundamentally transform the cybersecurity and IT landscape. The implications of these advancements cannot be understated, and in some ways are still, yet, unimagined — creating opportunities to both improve and undermine our nation’s cybersecurity posture. The combination of advancements across all of these fields will drive the future of information technology and cybersecurity,” said Essye Miller, principal deputy, Department of Defense chief information officer.
Read more here.
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