Government Technology

As we become an increasingly data-based society, security breaches and the associated legal risks have escalated.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, 233 data breach incidents took place as of April 14, representing an increase of 18 percent over the same time period in 2013.

Companies like Target, Michaels and Neiman Marcus know firsthand the reputational and financial damage that occurs when customers’ private information is compromised. As a result, private-sector demand for data security and privacy professionals has grown exponentially. Today many large corporations employ a chief privacy officer (CPO) to manage data protection and privacy concerns.

In the public sector, however, only a handful of statewide CPOs exist. But as big data, Internet-based everything and mobile technology grow, the CPO role could become more commonplace in the public sector.

Instead of locking student data in the principal’s office, more school districts are moving it to cloud providers.

By sharing data with private companies, schools can improve student learning using data analysis tools. But on the flip side, privacy advocates worry that student data is not safe in the hands of schools or the third parties they contract with. “Across the board, students unfortunately don’t have the level of protection they need,” said Khaliah Barnes, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s Student Privacy Project. Voices of concern seem to be getting louder.

A lawsuit filed in California accused Google of violating anti-wiretapping laws by scanning student email, a practice the company has since abandoned. At least 32 states have taken up student data privacy legislation this session. And policymakers throughout the nation had previously gathered in Washington, DC for a School Privacy Summit that addressed this matter. The issue of student data privacy has indeed sparked a national conversation.

Common Sense Media recommends three overarching principles for schools and policymakers to consider:

1. Students’ personal information should be used only for educational purposes.
2. Students’ personal information and online activity should not be used to target advertising to students or families.
3. Education technology providers in schools should have appropriate data security policies in place.

Some public entities have been working for years to get their applications in line with business needs. Others are just getting started.

The world has been questioning whether the public sector is forcing a secure smartphone revolution ever since Edward Snowden, ex-National Security Agency contractor, leaked documents exposing the organization's spying program.

Global paranoia over America's aggressive surveillance has prompted companies to ramp up the development of cryptophones, which are smartphones designed specifically for secure, hack-proof communications.

Social media has been a remarkable tool over the last several years, enabling friends and family members to connect and stay in touch.

But for all the benefits sites like Facebook can provide, they’ve also become privacy landmines for those people who want separate professional and personal lives.

Employers have been pushing employees for access to their social media accounts for years, raising a number of legal concerns. While an employee or prospective hire could decline such a request, a denial may potentially cost someone their job. And if permission is given, who’s to say that a photo shared between “friends” doesn’t influence a boss’ opinion of someone?

As a result, many states are now banning private- and public-sector employers from making compliance with social media password requests necessary. Louisiana may become the latest state to outlaw the practice.

The Louisiana House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of the Personal Online Account Privacy Protection Act. Also known as HB 340, the measure prohibits employers from demanding online account access as a condition of employment, both before and after a person is hired. In addition, the bill forbids K-12 and post-secondary schools from disciplining those students that don’t provide access to their accounts.

The practice of telehealth has increased in recent years as physicians and patients have become more comfortable meeting through video conferencing and other digital means. But as electronic health practices have grown, so have the legal and financial complexities that come with them. A number of bills have been introduced recently to address those issues and encourage adoption of telemedicine methods as a way to meet the rising demand for routine medical services.

1. On the federal level, H.R. 3077, the TELE-MED Act of 2013 would enable certain Medicare providers licensed in a state to provide telemedicine services to Medicare beneficiaries in a different state. If the bill passes, it would help expand telemedicine opportunities for some people who live near state borders. Sponsored by Rep Devin Nunes, (R-CA), the bill currently sits in the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Health.
2. H.R. 3306, the Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2013, authorizes changes to federal law that make it easier for hospitals and patients to pay for and use telehealth services.
3. Rep Mike Thompson (D-CA), has circulated a draft of a bill that would require Medicaid programs to reimburse for telehealth services that are included under state plans. The bill has not been formally introduced yet.
4. House Bill 1158 in New Hampshire. The American Telemedicine Association described the legislation as something that will require managed care plans to offer financial incentives to beneficiaries who use less expensive services, such as telemedicine.
5. California Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez is sponsoring AB 1771, a bill that would require health insurance companies to reimburse physicians for phone and electronic patient visits. If the measure becomes law, it could potentially benefit doctors in rural areas where the number of patients greatly outnumbers available physicians.

[Commentary] Remember Adelphia Cable? How about Susquehanna Communications? Or Renaissance Media? Maybe TCI rings a bell?

These largely forgotten cable company names are part of what was once a broad and diversified cable TV industry, with more than 40 players.

Today, there are four big players dominating the market: Comcast, Time Warner, Charter and Cox. And soon we may be down to just three. In March, Comcast announced it would buy Time Warner Cable.

The US Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will review the proposed merger, which many object to because they say it will create something close to a monopoly in cable service. But the biggest losers if the merger goes through may be cities and towns, who will lose the ability to create high-quality, low-cost, publicly owned broadband services for their citizens.

Partially thanks to Comcast and other cable giant's lobbying, 19 states have already passed laws that ban or restrict local communities from setting up publicly owned alternatives to the dominant provider in the area. Municipalities that pursue publicly owned broadband often cite several reasons for their efforts, ranging from lack of competition and choices in the area to a desire for faster speeds at lower costs.

An experiment using tablet devices to display city council agendas has sparked a paperless office movement and progressive technology policy-making in Rancho Cordova (CA).

Under a new policy launched in July, if an employee can show three business reasons why a tablet would help improve work efficiency, the city will purchase either an iPad or Android tablet for him or her.

The device is then authorized for both business and personal use, but the employee must agree to bring it to work every day. The policy has been a success for the city so far.

Jay Hadley, IT manager for Rancho Cordova, told Government Technology that 61 of the city's 70 full-time employees are now using city-owned tablets. In time, Hadley believes the devices will eventually enable staff to become a completely mobile work force.

The White House is leading efforts for online authentication technology -- a new form of identification that some have called a driver's license for the Internet.

But program leaders at the National Institute of Standards and Technology maintain that such a characterization is inaccurate, while privacy groups worry that the program’s scope could creep beyond the bounds of constitutionality if not carefully managed.

Today’s incarnation of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) endeavors to provide state residents with a common identity for acquiring services across state departments, piloting technology that could be used more broadly online. Michigan and Pennsylvania are now running federally-funded pilot programs to test early versions of the technology. An additional 10 organizations will be announced to receive pilot funding in August.

The program is also NIST’s effort to encourage the private sector to develop viable alternatives to a well-known but aging form of authentication: the password.

The movement to allow everyday items to connect to the Internet has gained momentum, as toothbrushes, bathroom scales and trash cans (to name a few) are available with sensors and online access.

And now, this dominantly consumer-based field may see a new line up of enterprise-focused -- and potentially government-focused -- startups through a new program by the Alchemist Accelerator. As a San Francisco-based tech accelerator for startups that provide enterprise-level solutions, Alchemist was recently supercharged with funding from Cisco Systems to launch its first six-month accelerator program to support Internet of everything startups.

The program draws upon a portion of $150 million -- funding that Cisco allocated in April -- for growth outside traditional markets. Openings for 13 startup teams have been offered, and an application deadline has been set for May 17 with the Internet of Everything Accelerator program to start on Aug 21. Alchemist’s Managing Director Ravi Belani spoke with Government Technology to outline why the program was created and what it intends to accomplish during its inaugural debut.