The world of government cybersecurity remains volatile as cybercriminals practice digital graffiti and public officials struggle to overcome disinformation about the purpose of contact tracing.
There are software companies across the nation working to develop contact tracing applications to help track and stop the spread of the coronavirus. But privacy concerns slow down development and implementation.
The Birmingham-based company has partnered with Google to develop a contact tracing app that doesn’t collect personal data, track the device location or even share case information with local health agencies.
An unemployment benefits website run by the Arkansas state government suffered a large data breach that left the personal information of thousands of applicants exposed, state officials confirmed.
The pandemic has generated another round of work by states to craft some kind of tracking app that doesn’t violate privacy rules. Meanwhile, policymakers have turned their attention to cybercrimes and surveillance.
As governments struggle to adapt to the election challenges surrounding COVID-19, a number of states have launched Internet voting pilots. But many experts argue that these programs could easily be co-opted by malicious actors.
Women are underrepresented in technology fields, but especially so in cybersecurity. It's not just a matter of fairness. Women are better than men at key aspects of keeping the internet safe.
Even though numerous consumer and civil rights organizations opposed it, a California bill about facial recognition technology use only had a single organization support it: Microsoft. The bill passed in an 8-3 vote.
Boston city council members introduced an ordinance that would ban the city government from using the technology. The ACLU hopes to pass the ordinance before the existing surveillance network is renewed on May 14.
Businesses must comply with the new data security law by July 1, but many employers’ priority is simply to keep financially afloat until then. California’s AG is undeterred and committed to keeping to the deadline.
Disinformation of all different stripes is still a persistent problem when it comes to the COVID-19 crisis. Increased reliance on social media and spiking Internet use have helped fuel these campaigns.