Ellen Perlman was a GOVERNING staff writer and technology columnist.
E-mail: mailbox@governing.comTwitter: @governing
Can You Hear Me Now? Are You Stealing My Data?
My head is still spinning from reading about all the government laptops that go missing, potentially exposing private data.
Connecticut has had a heck of a time recently. For example, the Revenue Department had to notify more than 100,000 taxpayers after a laptop was stolen.
Now I've got an email press release talking about the vulnerability of mobile phones. These newer phones actually are mini-computers, and therein lies the rub.
The mini-computers, or high-tech phones, that government employees have in their pockets could be vulnerable to attack or theft. Hackers can access the info stored on them if it's not protected. Employees can lose them. Are governments thinking about this when they pass out cell phones to employees? What's being stored on them? Are they used to tap into government databases?
Just asking...
One more thing to keep tabs on in a big, bad hacker-filled world.
Twitter: @governing
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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