Security
There’s not much research on getting a new program in place, but police chiefs who have been there have a lot of ideas about what to do — and what not to do.
Mobile payment options can be found everywhere from the grocery store to the barbershop. But does that mean your banking information is everywhere, too? It’s not really clear for many users.
This week, Governing’s Future of Security takes a look at the latest developments in election security, ransomware and the growing use of surveillance tools, such as facial recognition, inside of public schools.
Threats of cyberattacks are increasing and consumers shouldn’t forget about their cars. Practically mobilized computers, cars are just as vulnerable than other electronic devices that use the Internet.
A proposal that would ban use of facial recognition technology was first voted on by the Portland, Maine, City Council in November. They voted to postpone. On Monday, the council voted unanimously to postpone again, this time until June.
The law requires that the Secretary of State maintain a list of those who voted, the preferred political party of each voter, “[and] must provide the list to the chair of each major political party,” causing privacy concerns.
Bad actors are increasingly using artificial intelligence to manipulate images and video to misrepresent their subjects. As states work to legislate deepfake technologies, perhaps a federal approach would be better.
After a drone strike killed a high-ranking Iranian military official in Baghdad on Friday, American cybersecurity officials warn that the response could come in the form of cyberattacks.
As preparations for the first primarily digital U.S. Census ramp up in communities across the country, experts continue to caution that there will be misinformation campaigns designed to deter participation.
The state has a new privacy law on Jan. 1 that will attempt to set new standards for consumer data protection. But as tech becomes a norm for shopping, house security, and daily activities, data is hard to regulate.
All levels of government, as well as the private sector, face growing dangers from cyberthreats. That’s why there needs to be a centralized approach to cyberpolicies before a crisis occurs.
San Diegans for Open Government is claiming that the Southern California city didn’t disclose data that was collected through the city’s Smart Street Lights Program, which gathers a wide range of data about residents.
Gas stations don’t have to install chip-card readers until fall 2020, putting customers at risk. But gas stations, not credit card companies, will be responsible if fraudulent charges are made at a station without a chip-reader.
Montgomery County, Md., hopes to implement a new technology that would use artificial intelligence to recognize drivers using handheld devices. It has great potential, but what happens if the cameras don’t work?
Election officials nationwide came together under the hashtag #TrustedInfo2020 on Thursday to help ensure voters have access to accurate election info, hoping to prevent foreign influence on the democratic process.
An internal whistleblower at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota said the company is not adequately cyberprepared. Now the state’s largest health insurance provider is working to diminish some 200,000 vulnerabilities it has identified.
The algorithm examines facial expressions, word choice and tone to establish “willingness to learn” and “personal stability.” But AI researchers say “regulators should ban the use of affect recognition” due to potential discrimination.
Ohio hopes to stay ahead of the changing workforce by implementing The Choose Ohio First scholarship that will support 1,400 students on their path towards becoming computer science graduates. “We certainly need them.”
Harrisburg, Pa., region ranked fifth most prone to small business cyberattacks and officials are hoping that this encourages proactive cybersecurity, asking “What am I doing to protect my business?”
The Port of Seattle Commission has banned the use of biometric technology, but they only control part of Sea-Tac. The part that is controlled by Custom and Border Protection will still implement facial recognition in July 2020.
Senators from the region are pushing for the electric grid operator to reduce greenhouse gases, but progress is slow. Senators say the operator has “institutional tunnel vision” and the utility says its ideas are “taken off the table.”
Google claims it has cracked the code on quantum supremacy — IBM says not so fast. One researcher explains why he doesn't see quantum computers outpacing classical computers anytime soon ... and maybe not ever.
The new group, created through executive order, will focus on opportunities to advance education surrounding cybersecurity issues and careers, building on previous efforts to beef up the state's defenses.
Washington state’s Public Disclosure Commission is keeping public record of campaign expenses and donations to keep candidates honest. It’s far from perfect, “but that doesn’t mean we won’t whack the moles when we see them.”
Several agencies are warning holiday shoppers to be extra careful of phishing scams and shopping moves online. Some advice: Create a separate email, don’t use public Wi-Fi, and treat passwords like underwear.
Google’s Project Nightingale moved the company into the health-care field, and many are concerned about privacy. Google is known to mine and sell user data; who’s to say they won’t do that with intimate medical records?
Two Washington state universities have partnered to take on misinformation and digital counterfeiting hoping to help the public “sort fact from fakery.”
New York state’s Lockport City School District must make a few policy tweaks before their facial recognition programs will be okayed. The tweaks will “prevent students’ photos from being programmed into the system.”
The lack of technological awareness is becoming more difficult to work around as Congress is confronting the complexities of cryptocurrencies, facial recognition and digital privacy on an almost daily basis. It’s time for Congress to shake the dust off and catch up.
With the switch to electronic storage, identity theft has become streamlined and efficient with just a few keystrokes. “You really can’t protect your information. All you can do is monitor it.”
During a last-minute hearing Friday, Louisiana Deputy CIO Neal Underwood revealed that last week's ransomware attack was the largest one to impact the state, but he stopped short of calling the attack catastrophic.
