InfoHive – Data Security

What’s happening? National Republican Congressional Committee has announced it will accept cryptocurrency as campaign contributions

Why is this important? They’ve agreed to use a payment service– BitPay the crypto will be converted to cash. The cash will be deposited thereby circumventing the Federal Election Commission’s $100 cap on cryptocurrency.

How will this be important? As if, the FEC loophole isn’t enough. But, we’ll also see more states open to crypto for campaign contributions.

The Hill | Republican House campaign arm says it will begin soliciting cryptocurrency donations

What’s happening? Illinois is considering HB 3968 (2021 | IL) that would create a special purpose depository trust for digital assets.

Why is this important? Because digital assets reside in packets scattered across multiple platforms, what custodial obligations the custodians have is unclear.

How will this be important? Custody of digital assets will be important as digital assets are increasingly welcome as payment methods.

Chicago Tribune via Governing | Illinois Could Become New Hub of the Cryptocurrency Industry

What’s happening? An amendment in Ohio would prohibit public broadband operators from providing service as long as there was a private-sector company operating in the area.

Why is this important? The limited exception for public or municipal broadband would be to only unserved area & those without access to download speeds of at least 10 mbps

How will this be important? COVID highlighting the need to improve access to broadband. There’s funding flowing to these projects and that funding has not been distributed.

Ars Technika | Ohio Republicans close to imposing near-total ban on municipal broadband

What’s happening? California, Virginia and now Colorado have passed consumer data privacy bills. SB21-190 (2021- CO)

Why is this important? There are 17 exceptions to the Colorado bill that paint the path forward for other states. The exceptions include airlines, national securities association, public utilities, higher education, financial institutions…

How will this be important?  3 of 50 and protecting consumer data is only catching more people’s attention.

Colorado Sun | Colorado is the third state to pass a consumer-data privacy bill. Now what?

What’s happening? First, Cersi Lanister has to take the walk of shame on Game of Thrones, and now it’s data breaches.  Texas passed HB3746 (2021 | TX) that requires a public data base listing data breaches if more than 250 people are impacted.

Why is this important? Policy makers loves databases. Let’s see who the bad actors are because we don’t love a redemption story in America? It confuses my foreign born brain.

How will this be important? In future policy negotiations will businesses ask for limited liability protections in exchange for data breach public shaming walls? 

Reuters | Texas amends law requiring state AG to publicly post data breach notifications

What’s happening? Cities are seeing bitcoin ATMs emerge. A landlord in Los Angeles permits bitcoin as rent payment.  In total, there are 18,000 bitcoin ATMs across the U.S.

Why is this important?  Los Angeles has more bitcoin ATMs than any other city at more than 1000. After L.A., it is Chicago with  600. 

How will this be important? Tech hubs like San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Austin, TX and the triangle in North Carolina  did not crack the top 10.

Governing | Which Cities Have the Most Bitcoin ATMs?

What’s happening? Baltimore City Council is moving forward an ordinance to ban facial recognition software. 

Why is this important? The City wants to study whether the software infringes on the privacy of its citizens. The City is fresh off a program that used a crime fighting “spy plane” that captured private citizen behavior. 

How will this be important? Supporters say that the software misidentifies people of color.

Route Fifty |  Baltimore Latest City to Consider Banning Facial Recognition Technology

What’s happening? 75% of states say COVID had an impact on their remote access security, and about 50% of those said they expanded their existing data loss protection technology. 27% of states acquired new security tools

Why is this important? Security and broadband access are going hand in hand. 39% of states say their internet bandwidth was sufficient and 34% say there was minimal effort to adjust their bandwidth. 76% say increased remote work will continue.

How will this be important? The most popular method to approach security during the pandemics were : 58% increased training & 74% increased identity management and multi-factor authentication.

Route Fifty | States Bolster Data Security Technology in Response to Covid-19, Survey Finds

What’s happening? Maryland, Montana and Utah limit what police can access through genealogy websites.

Why is this important? These are the only 3 states that limit access to genealogical information.

How will this be important? The question is where is the lim it. For these 3 states the limit seem tone that police can use the genealogical information but only in this instance: “only for serious violent crimes such as murder and rape, only after they exhaust other investigatory methods, and only under the supervision of a judge”

Baltimore Sun via Governing | Maryland Limits Police Access to Genealogy Website Data

What’s happening? On Thursday June 10, 2021 the Texas Department of Banking issued an industry notice “that Texas state-chartered banks may provide customers with virtual currency custody services, so long as the bank has adequate protocols in place to effectively manage the risks and comply with applicable law.”

Why is this important? Custody of virtual currency is growing practical and policy issue. Especially securing storage when servers go offline.

How will this be important? We have to think that the state regulatory action begets statutory changes in Texas and in other states.

Dallas Morning News | Cryptocurrency wins votes of confidence from Gov. Abbott, Texas Department of Banking

Texas Department of Banking Industry Notice on Cryptocurrency Custody