Where: Ohio What: Ohio created a system to permit taxes to be paid by cryptocurrency When did they suspend the bitcoin payments? less than a year after it was created What entity suspended the system? A vote by a state panel that oversees the state’s banking and financial methods What are the next steps? The […]
Author Archives: Tessa Zavala
3 Budget Line Items Veto due to cybersecurity concerns.
Which Governor said funding cyber security concerns supported line item vetos? Michigan’s Governor What items were vetoed to protect the state’s cybersecurity? school aid spending focused on specific vendors increase per student funding for charter schools funding for a tourism campaign Detroit News | Gov cuts GOP pet projects in bid to restart budget, road […]
New Ransomware Study. Number of Attacks. Cities. Healthcare. Schools.
Who authored the ransomware study? The security firm Emsisoft What time period does the data cover? January 2019-September 2019 What is the impact of ransomware attacks? 621 US government entities, healthcare providers and school districts, colleges and universities were hit this year 68 state, county and municipal entities $5.3 million in total ransom demands 62 incidents […]
Business TREND. Retailers Accepting Crypto Currency.
Where: Sephora stores in France What protocols will be used to accept bitcoin/cryptocurrency? Global POS’ Easy2Play payment platform and EasyWallet app Global Cosmetic News | SEPHORA TO ACCEPT CRYPTO CURRENCY IN STORE
Policy Issues for Cyber Security in Autonomous Vehicles
Where is there pending legislation for cybersecurity of autonomous vehicles (AVs)? Congress What is the legislation? S.1885 – AV START Act (115th Congress) What are the policy issues for AVs? requiring autonomous vehicle manufacturers to develop and execute a plan for reducing cyber vulnerabilities should a manufacturer have a cybersecurity plan before it can sell […]
Crypto Currency + Human Trafficking Legislation + Utilities
Who is calling for Human Trafficking legislation to include a cryptocurrency angle? former director of the Office of Illicit Finance at the U.S. Department of Treasury What is the link between human trafficking and cryptocurrency? human traffickers use anonymous, decentralized financial systems (bitcoin etc…) to shield payments of unlawful activities from police and regulators How […]
State Procurement. Consolidating Data Centers. Welcoming Private Cloud Computing.
What are 3 ways Nebraska reduced spending by consolidating data centers? Closed a statewide data recovery center Co-located the data center with a county data center State runs a private data cloud that local governments use to store data How long did the process take? 18 months to consolidate 22 state agencies State Tech | […]
How did Ohio switch from data centers to private cloud for data security?
Who led the switch to private data cloud in Ohio? Ohio Office of Information Technology How did the process start? legislation? No, it was by Executive Order. How much will Ohio save? 2,459 to 1,896: Retirement and attrition of IT infrastructure staff $40 million to $980,000: Reductions in annual agency server hardware spending $28 million to $3 […]
4 Ways States Use Blockchain for Data Security
Where: Colorado What are examples of state programs that lend themselves to blockchain? transferable licenses land rights tracking complex grant programs food safety How has Colorado adapted to state use of blockchain/distributed ledger technology? Colorado created the position of Blockchain Architect State Tech | Data Security Emerges as Top Government Application for Blockchain
Anatomy of a State Cyber Risk Fund. Procurement Opportunity for Insurance Carriers.
Where: Arizona What is the funding request for the Arizona State Cyber Risk Fund? $22.5 Million What would it fund? statewide insurance & response for data breaches to state agencies AZ Mirror | Arizona agency wants $22 million for ‘cyber risk fund’