Monthly Archives: October 2015

What is the hubbub about the EU- US Data Security Ruling this week?

Why don’t Europeans want their data routed to the US by google or facebook? Europe has high data security protocols than the US.

Can’t the companies protect the European information?  Sure, Tim Cook Apple has said it will lead in data privacy, but the Patriot Act and other laws allow US to snoop on data. So, that European data gets siphoned up by the U.S. government.

So, what? Americans have learned to live with it? Remember the international kerfuffle that occured when it was learned…

3 Points from an Education Tech Expert on Student Data Security

Who is the expert? James Steyer

  •  Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, a San Francisco-based not-for-profit that, among other things, studies and advocates for children’s online privacy.
  • He is a a former civil rights attorney
  • Common Sense Media helped push 2014 California legislation, the Student Online Personal Information Protection Act, that bars operators of educational websites aimed at kids from amassing data profiles on their users

What are his points to protect student…

Trump Hotel Data Breach

What happened to expose customer data at Trump Hotels? Hotel security systems were “compromised as a result of malware that went unnoticed on system computers for more than a year.”

How long did hackers potentially have access? 1+ year

What responses did Trump Hotels have?

  • Hired independent investgators who found no instances of data being accessed through the malware
  • “Immediately upon learning of a possible incident, we [Trump Hotels] notified the F.B.I. and financial institutions,…

Lege Trend: New State Data Security Laws. New State Cyber Security Agency. 8 Goals.

The New Jersey Legislature moved forward a data security law that will:

  • Create the New Jersey Cyber Security Commission
    • It will be a 13-member commission within New Jersey’s Department of Criminal Justice.
    • 6 members will be:  representatives from the state Attorney General’s Office, the chief technology officer of the Office of Information Technology, the chief executive officer of the state Economic Development Authority, the commissioner of the Department of Education, the…

3 Data Security Risks at Power Plants Coming to a Regulatory Agency Near you

  1. known internet-related vulnerabilities. 
    • ​Especially the use of commercial ‘off-the-shelf’ software, which is cheaper but with greater access for hackers.
    • Lack of proper protection from internet access.
  2. lack of nuclear facility personnel training
    • Many plants were built before cyber threats were an issue
    • A gap emerges between plant personnel and cyber security personnel
  3. No proactive solutions for potential threats 
    • ​​Reacting to potential threats is not enough cyber…

Trend: Pilot Project for Local Governments to Use Data Sharing for Code Enforcement

Who is fighting blight with data sharing? New York cities of Amsterdam, Gloversville, Schenectady and Troy and the University of Albany’s Center for Technology in Government

What data are these cities sharing? code enforcement–related data and develop best practices for tackling the problem

Why are they sharing data? Blight costs the cities.  Direct blight costs include:

  • code enforcement
  • administration
  • engineering
  • property maintenance

Indirect blight fighting costs for cities…

24 States Provide Economic Incentives for Data Centers

  • Alabama: 
    • ​30 years of tax breaks
    • for data centers investing $400 million
    • that create at least 20 jobs
    • with an average annual compensation of $40,000
  • Alaska NONE
  • Arkansas None specific to data centers, have used other tax incentives for data centers
  • California NONE
  • ColoradoNONE
    • in 2015 Colorado tried to pass a sales tax refund on equipment for data centers
  • Connecticut 
    • A state economic development ffice granted $6 million to a data…