A University Data Breach Informed Statewide Policymakers. 1 Prohibition Emerged.

Washington State University kept sensitive personal information on a backup disk locked in a $159 safe in a small safe in a storage unit.

The WSU storage unit was burlagized, and was the only unit burgalarized.

The takeaway for policy makers: Do not allow state institutions to store personal data in storage units. 

Common sense governing. Better late than never.

Government Technology | Washington State University Data Breach Teaches Valuable Cybersecurity Lesson (Editorial)

Poll. Election Hacking Impacts Voter Turn out. 3 Key Pieces of Data.

A poll by Carbon Black reveals the concern level of voters for election integrity.

  • 27% of voters polled are considering not voting because of fear that their voter data will not be secure.
  • If the 27% hold true, that reduduces voters by 59 million voters
  • 45% think the 2018 elections will be impacted by cyber breaches

SC Media | Cybersecurity concerns may stop 59 million Americans from voting in 2018

The Steps Maryland took after hacker went for its voter information. Procurement Opportunity.

In August 2016, Maryland officials notices hackers were trying to get to voter information, that set off a flurry of legislator and regulator activity. Here’s where they ended up almost a year later:

  • legislators didn’t find out until it was in the news which ruffled feathers. suprise!
  • Within 3 days of noticing the hacking attempt,  state’s computer staff blocked the IP address from multiple parts of the network
  • The Maryland elections administrator notified the Governor’s cabinet
  • 2 weeks later, Maryland officials alerted the FBI
  • The FBI then notified Department of Homeland Security
  • In September, Maryland’s elections administrator learned DHS had tools to help states at a conference, which she requested and began 1 month later
  • DHS conducts remote weekly “cyber hygiene scans” of Maryland’s systems
  • Maryland hired outside contractors to protect and monitor their election systems
  • Maryland’s voter-registration database is not connected to the internet
  • Maryland’s legislators are still gearing up to act

Wall Street Journal | How Maryland Contended With Attempted Hack Of Its Voter-Registration System

Lege Trend. State CIO + State Cybersecurity Advisory Council. 3 Key Bits of Intel. Read the bill.

Oregon’s Senate Bill 90 creates a new position of Chief Information Officer who is responsible for:

  • Overseeing the Cybersecurity Advisory Council with 9 voting members and an indeterminate number of appointed, non-voting members
    • with required participation by law enforcement representatives
  • Creating the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence tasked with inter- and intra-agency coordination, threat response, & information-sharing
  • Mandates agency cooperation with the CIO

Government Technology | Oregon Gets Cybersecurity Booster Shot with Governor’s Approval of Senate Bill 90

Local Trend. 5 Elements of a School District's Data Security Policy. + Procurement

Why are Frederick County Public Schools (Maryland) adopting new data security rules? The School experiences a data breach.

5 Elements from the new data breach policy:

  • Requires frequent and thorough teacher and staff training for treatment of sensitive information
  • incident response planning
  • acceptable use of technology
  •  information technology security awareness
  • sets guidelines to mitigate and communicate risks for FCPS student and staff information systems

Also requires a 3rd party contractor to test the schools’ data security regularly.

Frederick News Post | New FCPS data security policy takes measures to protect student information

How to Move Grid Cybersecurity requirements by linking it to 2 other energy bills.

How to pass electric grid cybersecurity standards in 2 steps of legislstive logic:

  • Tie expedited permitting of pipelines to electric grid modernization
  • Tie electric grid modernization to grid cybersecurity

Natural Gas Intel | Senate Energy Policy Reform Bill Revived, Fast-Tracked

Promoting Good Cyber Hygiene Act. That's Real, Folks. 3 Bits Informed Intel.

A bipartisan, and awkwardly named piece of legislation, the Promoting Good Cyber Hygiene Act, calls for:

  • National Institute of Standards and Technology would establish a set of baseline voluntary best practices for safeguarding against cyber intrusions 
  • provide the public access to the cyber hygiene practices
  • require annual updates

The Hill | Senators introduce ‘cyber hygiene’ bill

3 Points. Government Incentives for Healthcare to Protect Its Data.

1/2 of health care organizations say they are prepared for a data breach.

The American Medical Association proposes these data security incentives:

  • CMS to include among its improvement activities in the Quality Payment Program (QPP), a credit for practices who engage in good cybersecurity hygiene and protect sensitive information;
  • best practices and tools must be scalable & able to accommodate the needs of physicians of all sizes and practic areas; and
  • larger practices should share their best practices with smaller health care entities to best protect health care communities.

Health IT Security | Incentivize Cybersecurity Best Practices for Data Security

How Cybersecurity Bills Can Hamper Self Driving Car Legislation.

Automakers say they need flexibility to adapt technology of self driving cars. 

What’s known for flexibility? the sarcastic answer: enacted statutes and their ability to keep up with technology

What’s the solution for cybersecurity for self driving cars? According to the American Center for Mobility self imposed rules by industry are the best option.

Automotive News | Cybersecurity push may tie up autonomous-car legislation