Cybersecurity
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A breach in a Minnesota Department of Human Services system allowed inappropriate access to the private data of nearly 304,000 people, with officials saying there is no evidence the data was misused. -
A contract with Motorola Solutions will enable the county to do a better job of safeguarding its emergency radio communications system. Tower sites and radio dispatch consoles will get 24/7 security.
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With its longtime federal support now withdrawn, one of the country’s largest public-sector cybersecurity support organizations has moved to a new paid model where states handle the bill for its services.
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Officials say that an early assessment did not show any indications of compromised data, but county and provider personnel are also continuing a careful analysis to screen for additional problems.
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The Knight Foundation will give $50 million to universities that are creating cross-disciplinary research programs analyzing the impact that social media and big data are having on democracy and politics.
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Equifax has agreed to pay up to $700 million following U.S. federal and state investigations into the 2017 data breach, and it is required to spend at least $1 billion to improve data security.
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A bevy of legislation has been introduced in recent months that seeks to augment and change California's privacy law, but how much of it will pass remains to be seen.
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A recent webcast tackled the challenges facing IT shops at the state and local level and national trends in fighting ransomware, migrating applications to the cloud and adopting artificial intelligence technologies.
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Luzerne County is working on a plan to upgrade all Windows 7 workstations to Windows 10, IT officials say. That project will be completed “by or soon after” the date the old operating systems reaches end-of-support.
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In what officials are calling a proactive effort to head off any potential ransomware attacks, Mercer County Commissioners approved two contracts last week aimed at shoring up digital security.
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An increase in stolen trade secrets, hacked texts and corporate spying has pushed some executives and law firms to embrace protective architectural safeguards such as security glass that can block data theft.
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The National Science Foundation has awarded a $4.63 million grant to the university to train cybersecurity professionals. The program will focus on attracting students from underrepresented populations around the state.
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In the months since Holmes Beach, Fla., installed five special cameras around the city, police have made more than 40 arrests and 127 traffic stops. Officials say it’s a win, but privacy advocates see a problem.
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The latest social media craze –– an AI-enabled app that virtually ages faces –– has sparked concern among privacy experts and lawmakers. The app’s Russian origins have some questioning its access to Americans’ data.
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The FBI advises victims not to pay ransoms to decrypt files, but a business analysis may find that it's the less expensive option in many cases, Cyber Leadership Alliance President Douglas Rapp said.
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The apparent cyberattack that forced county employees back to manual processes this week does not appear to come with a demand for cryptocurrency. Henry County is one of several governments hit by hackers in recent weeks.
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A targeted phishing cyberattack on the Department of Human Services in January compromised 645,000 records and 2 million emails. The agency has been working with the new CISO to fortify its cybersecurity in the months since.
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The cryptocurrency payment was the last option after the FBI failed to unlock the county’s data. Officials say the virus infected around 7 percent of its computers and server network July 6.
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The Associated Press found that many Pennsylvania counties purchased new equipment that uses the nearly obsolete Windows 7 operating system to create ballots, program voting machines, tally votes and report counts.
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County officials said they are working with the FBI and the Georgia Technology Authority “to identify the issue and rectify any persistent issues” that forced the network to be taken offline early Wednesday.
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An audit of the California Department of Technology found that the agency had shown improvement in its information security stance since a 2013 review, but that more effort was needed to safeguard state systems.
