Today Representatve Jim Murphy announced the formation of the Texas Innovation and High Tech Caucus. Members of the legislature are directed to contact Bradly Pepper in Represenative Murphy’s Office.
Lege Trend: Student Data Security. Student Data Is the MVP on the Black Data Market.
Selling student data is a hot topic. Education businesses want to buy student data to tweak their products. Releasing student data is of increasing concern to data privacy advocates, especially since data related to children is far more valuable on the black market.
Maryland is bouncing around how to protect student data. Proposals include:
- prohibiting selling student information for profit, including names, grades and test scores, socioeconomic information, search activity, photos and other student identifiers.
- prohibiting targeted advertising and profiling of individual students
New Texas Public Private Partnership for Data Security
This week, the U.S. Army Reserve selected UTSA as a founding member of a unique public-private partnership program to train cybersecurity professionals.
Under the Cyber P3 designation, UTSA and other participating schools will help the government fill as many as 40,000 positions nationwide.
US Chamber of Commerce: San Antonio #2 in Data Security Professionals
A US Chamber of Commerce study ranks San Antonio as #2 area for data security professionals. The industry is working to gain traction with local economic development officials. KSAT
UTSA Cyber Security Program Tops in the Nation
UTSA established its Institute for CyberSecurity in 2001. The Institute trains not only students, but also those in business to improve their cybersecurity.
In 2014, the Institute was named the Top cyber security education program in the nation by certified information technology professionals.
TX Data Security Officer Leaves DIR
Last week, Brian Engle, DIR’s data security go-to guy, left his state government post. He is now the first employee of a nonprofit, Retail Industry Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
His new role is to support the retail industry in their cybersecurity efforts and their efforts to protect their customer information and information technology.
Data Security Tops Business Priority Survey
National Retailers Federation revealed a survey that shows that 97% of surveyed business leaders believe data security is top priority for 2015.
Cars Retain Your Data, Folks. Feds File Legislation to Protect Your Car Data.
New federal legislation would establish federal data security standards for car makers. Most cars collect data, without the vehicle owner or driver’s knowledge. The data is then sold to third parties.
Legislation would require:
- car companies and third-party vendors to be competent in:
- detecting
- reporting
- responding to real-time hacking events
- drivers would be notified of:
- data collection,
- data transmission and
- how that data is being used.
- Allow consumers to decline data collection without having navigation disabled.
Lege Trend: More States Move Fast to Protect Students. Districts Face $50,000 Fines per Breach.
A panel in rugged, independent Idaho is creating a task force to study:
- how much student data is sold to third parties
- how best to protect student data, and
- how to reduce sharing student data.
State and federal agencies collect nearly 566 data points per student. Last year, Idaho passed a law that can fine school districts up to $50,000 for student data security breaches.
Lege Trend: Federal Data Breach Legislation
Last week Congressmen Barton (R-TX) and Rush (D-IL) filed data breach notification legislation. Feds want to protect personal, private information and the states are quickly passing bills that further protect their citizens.
What you need to know about the federal bills:
- Act Name: Data Accountability and Trust Act (DATA Act)
- Bill Number: HR 580
- Senators Feinstein, Pryor, Rockefeller, and Nelson filed similar, but not identical bill:
- Data Security and Breach Notification Act
- SR 177
- What do HR 580 & SR 177 seek to accomplish?
- Nationwide data security standard
- Backed by FTC enforcement & State Attorney Generals and civil penalties
- Penalties up to $5M per violation
- Require notification to the FTC & to affected individuals in the event of a data breach
- Define “personal information” to include:
- an individual’s name in connection with :
- (1) a Social Security number
- (2) a driver’s license, passport, or other government-issued identification number, or
- (3) a financial account or credit or debit card number in combination with a security code or password that would permit access to an individual’s financial account.
- an individual’s name in connection with :
- Businesses would be required to have information security procedures and policies to safeguard information.