InfoHive – Data Security

The increase in lobby spending by 12 large publicly traded cybersecurity firms:

• In 2019, spending more than tripled to $3.94 million
• In 2015 these firms spent $1.21 million

What COVID cyber security issues are on their radars:

• health data like temperatures collected by businesses
• health data collected by COVID tracking
• COVID relief funding
• electric grid security issues
• teleworking
• remote schooling

Wall Street Journal | Cybersecurity Lobbying Spending Mounts as Privacy, Security Laws Take Shape

Who: Congress

5 Key privacy elements:

• Transparency
  • disclose to consumers at the point of collection how their data will be handled, to whom it will be transferred, and how long it will be retained
• Choice
  • affirmative express consent
• Control
  • over the collection and use of their personal data
• Data defined
  • will include health, geolocation, and proximity data
• Hold businesses accountable if personal data is used to fight the COVID-19 pandemic

U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation | Wicker, Thune, Moran, Blackburn Announce Plans to Introduce Data Privacy Bill

Engadget | Senate bill would set privacy requirements for COVID-19 tracking

The Verge | Senators’ plan for reining in contact tracing apps doesn’t make a lot of sense

To accommodate online voting, counties say the costs will be:

• $414 million for 5 states
  • Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
• 10%-20% the amount of federal funds available in COVID stimulus to cover the local costs
• 50 new coronavirus cases were linked to voting in Wisconsin’s primary

What about state’s ability to match funds? Utah expects to draw down fewer federal dollars for elections because they don’t have 50% of the funds available needed

Washington Post | The Cybersecurity 202: County election officials detail massive costs of remote voting

In response to July 1 enforcement of California’s novel data privacy rules, data privacy supporters say COVIDs work from home requires more data security protection.

In response to the July 1 enforcement of California’s novel data privacy rules, data privacy supporters say COVID requires more work from home data security protection.

People are more vulnerable to their data being used without their permission because:

• home internet connections are less secure
• financial transactions have moved online with more entities collecting financial information
• online socialization is moving private conversations online in recordable formats

There is also new data being collected by employers: health data related to COVID such as employee temperatures. Is this at a covered by the rules? What privacy protections are afforded to this data?

San Francisco Chronicle via Governing | Calif. Internet Privacy Deadline Complicated by Coronavirus

Where: California

How have California’s data security rules been complicated by COVID?

• Staffing. State orders to stay at home led to losses and layoffs leaving companies unable to comply
• No final rules. Have left small businesses unsure how to comply
• New health data. What do companies do with new employee data like when workers temperatures are recorded

San Francisco Chronicle via Governing | Calif. Internet Privacy Deadline Complicated by Coronavirus

Who is monitoring privacy issues? “Privacy Hawks” & Civil Liberties Groups

What top 3 issues are talked about?

• Will a person’s location be collected?
  • Apple & Google apps will launch with bluetooth contact monitoring which does not collect location data
• Who will make contact to relay that a person has been in contact with a person positive for COVID?
  • Favored are notifications by health agencies

• How willing are we to trust Tech Companies with this contact monitoring?
  • Are there sufficient firewalls?
  • Is there adequate encryption?
  • Is there a mechanism to stop the app when contact monitoring is no longer necessary?

The Hill | Privacy hawks willing to see how new contact tracing project plays out

• 34% higher revenue growth
• Less than 1/4 of boards are digitally savvy
• More than 3 digitally savvy board members brings economic benefits

How does a company add digitally savvy board members?

• Use consistent terminology understood by all
• Treat digital strategies are business strategies
• Track company digital data (e.g. digital use, orders…)
• Talk about business digital achievements. Highlight it & highlight it again
• Coordinate work to draw broad board support for digital strategies

MIT Sloan School | How to build a digitally-savvy board

Innovation from local governments benefit a new normal?

• Electronic Signatures to reduce contracting times by days if not weeks
• Virtual Training for City Employees to allow employees to hit the ground running
• Courts Adopt Conference Calls to reduce courtroom time for conferences
• Electronic Bail Process speeds up the bail process and transfers documents electronically

Benefits to local government: Innovation reduces costs for local government.

Governing | Government’s Innovation Surge Shouldn’t End with the Pandemic

Most common drone use: Reinforce social distancing rules via loudspeakers and a recorded message. This method was first used by Spain and China.

Benefits of using drones for crowds/social distancing:

• drones can cover more ground
• drones have a greater vantage point over officers on the ground
• drones have an advantage getting to hard to reach areas
• can easily confirm whether a disturbance is occurring before sending officers
• can quickly clear a house before officers enter

What precautions are law enforcement following before using drones:

• drones are not recording video or sound
• drones are not being used for survelliance

Governing | Police Are Using Drones for Coronavirus Management

What companies are building COVID tracking? Apple together with Google

How will it work?

• via bluetooth
• Android and iOS phones will communicate & track when individuals pass within 6 feet of someone who tested positive

What privacy assurances are offered?

• “strong protections around user privacy”
• transparency and consent “are of utmost importance for the app

What legislative protections are data privacy supporters calling for?

• Create a right to digital self-defense
• Allow citizens to use anonymity, privacy, and cybersecurity tools to shield themselves
• Prevent widespread and relentless data collection by private and public actors

The Hill | A right to digital self-defense will prevent abuse of COVID-19 surveillance apps