Monthly Archives: May 2020

Who are the 21 Founding Members of the North Texas Innovation Alliance Consortium? Addison, Allen, Arlington, Coppell, Corinth, Dallas, Dallas County, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Innovation Alliance, Dallas Regional Chamber, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Frisco, Garland, Irving, McKinney, McKinney Economic Development Corporation, North Texas Commission, North Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Plano, Richardson, and the Texas Research Alliance.  What are its goals? Create the most connected, smart, and resilient […]

Where: Utah The think tank: Libertas Institute What does the Libertas Institute propose Utah Legislature pass? Create a new office of citizens’ privacy Led by the State Privacy Officer & a Personal-Privacy Oversight Committee Create standards for related laws, technology use and data security Inform citizens of their rights concerning their data Train government employees on […]

The industry is expected to return to profitability in 2020 Bitcoin miners can upload energy to the grid with bitcoin energy storage solutions They’re open to working with grid operators to switch off mining in peak times in exchange for lower rates OilPrice.com | Why Bitcoin Miners Should Head To Oil Country

What: A newly released Government Office of Accountability report highlights the need for more cybersecurity at chemical plants Why? outdated systems. There have been no upgrades to cybersecurity protocols in 10+ years no inspector oversight. There is no tracking of the cybersecurity knowledge of inspectors at chemical plants + training standards cyber integration. Better track […]

Where: Rockdale, Texas Why did Rockdale attract bitcoin miners? Rockdale was home to the country’s largest smelting operation, which has ceased its operations What local governmental entities worked to recruit bitcoin miners? Rockdale Municipal Development District Governing | A Small Town in Texas Turns to Bitcoin Mining to Survive

Who developed this COVID tracing tracker? MIT What is a Covid Tracing Tracker? “a database to capture details of every significant automated contact tracing effort around the world” Why? No single, standard approach by developers and policymakers Radically different levels of surveillance and transparency No one was tracking all the methods How many countries are […]

The Texas Court sites impacted by a ransomware attack: Texas Supreme Court Texas appellate courts  Office of Court Administration When did the attack occur?  May 8, 2020, during the overnight hours What may have limited the attack? Disabling the branch network including websites and servers to prevent further harm Was a ransom paid? No CISO […]

Where: Massachusetts The legislation: S2695 (2020 | MA) What COVID data does the legislature want public?  Daily data on resident and staff COVID-19 cases at state licensed facilities long-term care facilities skilled nursing facilities assisted living residences Daily reports on the number of cases and fatalities among inmates and staff at all correctional facilities staff […]

Where: Boston Why is Boston City Council considering banning facial recognition software? Preemption. The State Legislature is considering a moratorium on facial recognition technology, biometric surveillance systems, including gait and voice recognition Polling. 8 of 10 people in the state support a moratorium Peer Pressure. Other cities in the state have passed bans Protect Rights. […]

The increase in lobby spending by 12 large publicly traded cybersecurity firms: In 2019, spending more than tripled to $3.94 million In 2015 these firms spent $1.21 million What COVID cyber security issues are on their radars: health data like temperatures collected by businesses health data collected by COVID tracking COVID relief funding electric grid […]