InfoHive – Data Security

Contact Tracing.

• Unpopular among Americans
• Concern from tech companies about implementation while protecting privacy

Governing | Contact Tracing Apps Aren’t Going to Solve the Pandemic

COVID testing and data privacy

• Community testing centers in Florida were collecting social security numbers at testing sites
• Testing labs have no healthcare experience, and thus, no experience with HIPPA

Governing | Florida Residents Worry COVID-19 Tests Risk Personal Data

Where: New Jersey

What legislation is New Jersey considering? A4211 (2020 | NJ)

What will A4211 do? Prohibit the use of biometric recognition software by law enforcement

Why? Biometric software (facial recognition software) has been pulled by developers for its potential to contribute to racial profiling

Who is awarding broadband funding? The FCC

How much funding will be awarded? $16 billion 

When will the funds be available? The FCC will commence the auction on Oct. 29

Could broadband under this auction be delivered by satellite? Yes. “SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system using low Earth orbit satellites.”

Reuters | FCC awarding up to $16 billion to address U.S. areas lacking broadband service

Amazon halted sale of its facial recognition software to police forces for the next year.

CNET | Amazon announces one-year pause on police use of its facial recognition tech

Microsoft & IBM cease selling their facial recognition software

Washington Post | Microsoft won’t sell police its facial-recognition technology, following similar moves by Amazon and IBM

Massachusetts faces stronger calls for statewide prohibition of facial recognition software.

Governing | Call to Ban Mass. Facial Recognition Grows Amid Protests

Where: Mississippi

What legislation has closed the internet divide and brought broadband to rural areas? Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act, HB 366 (2019 | MS), allowing electric cooperatives to offer broadband service

How can Electric Co-ops offer broadband?

• by establishing, acquiring and wholly or partially owning 1+  broadband affiliates
• co-ops can create a separate entity that provides and sells broadband service

What gap in service is being filled? traditional internet providers aren’t providing accessible service in rural areas

Governing | Mississippi’s ‘Broadband Revolution’ Picks Up Speed

Say you’re a state that replaced its former electronic voting system with electronic voting systems that also produce a paper ballot.

What 2 data security issues still exist?

• The electronic voting systems could still be connected to the internet (hackable)
• The paper ballot requires the voter to check that their votes are correctly recorded. Will voters do that? Would you do that?

Governing | Georgia Bolsters Election Security with Upgraded Technology

The legislation: Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act S 3824 (116th Congress)

What does S3824 require to protect seniors from COVID scams?

• FTC will track senior scams & list them on their website
• FTC will provide seniors guidance on avoiding scams

Supporters of this legislation: AARP, the Elder Justice Coalition, the American Society on Aging, and the National Adult Protective Services Association

The Hill | Senators introduce bill to protect seniors from coronavirus scams

Where: Israel

Which parts of Israeli water facilities were hacked? water pumping stations and treatment plants

What portion of these plants were targeted? control systems

What did the head of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate say? “The coronavirus pandemic has reaffirmed that hackers are unwilling to refrain from attacking critical infrastructure.”

Cyberscoop | Israeli official confirms attempted cyberattack on water systems

Which company is offering face blurring services? Signal, an encrypted messaging app

Which photos can have faces blurred? any photos are shared on the app

What else is Signal Foundation doing? Seeking a manufacturer to make physical face coverings for demonstrators free of charge

Cyberscoop | Signal wants to protect protesters’ privacy with new face-blurring feature

Who is amending their data security recommendations? Cyberspace Solarium Commission

What is the Cyberspace Solarium Commission? A bicameral, bipartisan organization with co-chairs, Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin). Its 14 Commissioners include 4 legislators, 4 senior executive agency leaders, and 6 nationally recognized experts from outside of government

What are the new COVID recommendations ?

• Pass an IoT law: The law would subject IoT devices to “reasonable security measures” and compliant with basic security protocols
  • Think about medical devices that can be hacked
  • IoT= internet of things (connected devices from lamps to pace makers)
• Collaborate with trusted nonprofits that are capable of and flexible enough to disrupt cybercrime
• Establish the Social Media Data and Threat Analysis Center
• Increase nongovernmental ability to find and defense against foreign misinformation campaigns

CIO | Commission amends cyber recommendations to reflect COVID-19 vulnerabilities