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Cybersecurity & Tech
Cybersecurity & Tech
COVID. How Data Spurs Health Care Innovation.
Data drives health care innovation, but do regulations and laws protect that data?
How did COVID drive awareness to health care data privacy? COVID highlighted that the collection, use, sharing and further processing of data can help limit the spread of the virus
Could blockchain help?
- It would anonymize health care data
Banker Objections over State Cryptocurrency Adoption
What government is considering a State Crypto Currency? Sweden
What are Swedish banker concerns?
- Sweden is already a mostly digital, or cashless
- e-krona users can bypass middlemen, private banks, and connect directly to the Central Bank
- Commercial banks would become dependent on wholesale markets for liquidity
- the e-krona is set to be traceable, moving the Central Bank into an area it does not regulate: privacy
ambcrypto | Bankers in Sweden express concerns over e-Krona digital currency project
Autonomous Vehicles Rely on Data.
Autonomous vehicles rely on large-scale data collection. From road ways, to traffic laws to average human behavior.
Do laws address the data that Autonomous vehicles need? Not so much
What should AV laws address?
- Has there been consent to collect the data? Is express consent required?
- What data is collected? is it all defined as personal information?
- What protections are on data shared with 3rd party data companies? Like the company that has the data of human risk behaviors that works into an AV algorithm.
- Is the mapping data collected shared with local governments for transportation projects?
- Is the data shared across international borders?
Automotive World | Autonomous vehicle developments put focus on data compliance
1st State to Ban Facial Recognition Software in Schools
The State: New York
How the facial recognition software ban came to be: AB 6787 (2020 | NY)
Is it a permanent ban? No, its a let’s wait until July 1, 2022 & let’s study it
What happens on July 1st 2022? The State Board of Education President upon reviewing a study of the software could approve its use
What about school shootings? The software is mostly ineffective as most shooters are students who would not trigger the software
Route Fifty | A State Becomes the First to Suspend Facial Recognition Technology in Schools
2020 Recap: I see you. They see you.
Not a day goes by that we don’t see a headline about hackers. COVID increased the importance of Chief Information Officers from hacking prevention to solid disease trackers. COVID highlighted a big problem in access to technology when working from home and school from home didn’t work when there was no broadband access.
Tech companies admitted that there are flaws in facial recognition software. Lots of cities and police departments said no, don’t want to be that person who gets the headline- we used facial recognition software and locked up an innocent 90 year old grandmother.
We learned an interesting tech tip- you can’t actually trace cryptocurrency transfers. But, states have allowed Bitcoin to pay taxes and permitted bitcoin campaign contributions. So, we’ll see how that goes…
Phoenix Partnership to Close Digital Divide in the City
Phoenix is partnering with schools, technology companies and other city agencies to close the digital divide.
The sequential goals Phoenix is establishing:
- expanded access to connectivity to the entire 250-square-mile Phoenix Union High School District
- Expand to all school districts in Phoenix
State Tech | How Cities Are Forging Partnerships to Close the Digital Divide
How San Antonio is Closing Broadband Gap
COVID highlighted the disparity in access to broadband in San Antonio.
What data did San Antonio look to solve the disparity? San Antonio created an “Equity Atlas” that “visualizes the aggregated education level, income and primary language of different census tracts in the city,”
What did San Antonio discover? The broadband divide starts to close at household incomes above $60,000 and that it is most stark in minority communities
San Antonio’s Plan:
- spend $27 million
- connect 20,000 school children
- build on an existing network infrastructure and personal Wi-Fi hotspots
State Tech | How Cities Are Forging Partnerships to Close the Digital Divide
Facial Recognition Software as a Veto Negotiation
Massachusetts Governor has returned a law enforcement reform bill to the Legislature asking it to remove a ban on facial recognition software.
Tech Crunch | Massachusetts governor won’t sign police reform bill with facial recognition ban
COVID. What do contact tracing participation rates look like?
In New Jersey, 74% of COVID positive persons will not cooperate.
New Jersey has 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 persons.
+1 City Bans Use of Facial Recognition Software.
Continuing Black Lives Matter reforms, Madison, Wisconsin voted to ban the use of facial recognition software by city agencies.
The reasons offered for opposing the use of facial recognition software:
- unreliable
- faulty
- would worsen the racial disparities
The exception that allows use of facial recognition software: to identify and locate “victims of human trafficking, child sexual exploitation or missing children.”
Wisconsin State Journal via Governing | Wisconsin Capital Bans City’s Facial Recognition Use
US Supreme Court & Data Privacy. Employers & Unauthorized Access
In Van Buren v. U.S. the question is whether unauthorized use of a law enforcement database by a law enforcement officer, who was authorized to the use the database, but not for this search, is that sanctionable?
Why does this matter? Did you ever check your realreal bids at the office? Or run a quick search for why your eye is twitching? Hello unauthorized use.
Where does this get even grayer? Researchers and journalists often use fake accounts for research purposes.
What has Alito said? ” including this unauthorized use could loop in a lot of others that are innocuous
Protocol | Van Buren v. United States: The SCOTUS case splitting the privacy world in two
COVID Broadband. Where should it go? National Governors Association
The National Governors Association has a new study about locating new broadband.
The nuts & bolts:
- The FCC collects broadband access data, but says it is imperfect
- Up to 42 million could be underserved by broadband
- Suggests a program in North Carolina was a good way to map broadband access.
- North Carolina stakeholders included state agencies and internet providers
- The group conducted speed tests, increased WiFi hotspots and widen outreach
- 44% increase in statewide connectivity from 2014 to 2019
NGA | Governor Strategies to Expand Affordable Broadband Access
Bill to Develop EV Charger Data
The legislation: HR 8807 (116th Congress)
What will HR 8807 do?
- Create a $10M grant program for local governments and utilities
- To determine where to locate EV charging stations
What information will the data help solve?
- data on travel patterns and regional commutes
- data to address and quell range anxiety
- produce a map “identifying concentrations of electric vehicle charging stations to meet the needs of current and future of electric vehicle drivers”
- data to track evolving transportation patterns
- to “empower investors and private sector companies to confidently build out this infrastructure in an informed manner”-Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Executive Director Heather Reams
COVID Data. Health Data Audits
Which legislature is calling on health care data audits? Pennsylvania
How will this work? The Legislature’s House Budget and Finance Committee will audit data maintained by the Health Department to identify anomalies in its reporting
What: HR 1087 (2020 | PA)
Why? What was the Legislature reacting to? Discrepancy between the number of COVID-19-related deaths reported by the state’s Department of Health & those reported by coroners + inconsistencies in reporting of deaths from nursing homes and practices for reporting positive cases
COVID Legislation. Health Data
What: HB6314 (2020 | MI)
Where: Michigan
What else does HB 6314 do? Require a uniform and centralized data system to collect data related to testing sites and a public resource with detailed information about cases, testing, deaths, recoveries, available PPE, hospital occupancy and much more.
State vs. Feds on Data Privacy Protections
California’s Data Privacy Legislation, CCPA, and its amendments passed by voters in November 2020, federal legislation is thought to likely meet or exceed California data privacy standards.
What would be included in federal legislation that isn’t in California’s?
- individual privacy rights for data privacy
- whether private individuals may bring a cause of action for data privacy violations
- whether California’s small business exception will apply.
- California defines a small business as less than $25 million annual revenue and earns less than half its revenue from selling data from fewer than 50,000 entities
- The impact and use of AI and algorithmic discrimination
COVID enforcement by Robot
Where: Japan
What: A robot identifies individuals not wearing masks or socially distancing and politely advises the person to wear a mask or maintain social distancing.
News Herald | Robot in Japan reminds people to follow coronavirus etiquette
Audit: State Should Create a privacy office
The state: Oregon
Why is a state privacy office necessary?
- state agencies collect a lot of personal information
- there is no consistent statewide policy unhanding personal information
- state must ensure that privacy risks are identified and managed
- state must ensure there is a process to handle security incidents
A fragmented system relying on each agency to protect data separately falls short in protecting personal data
What does Oregon have in place? Enterprise Information Services, a statewide data and information systems agency
How many states have a single point in charge of protecting personal data? 15
Statesman Journal | Audit suggests state take this step to protect Oregonians’ personal information
+1 Police Force. No to Facial Recognition Software
The Police Force: City of Los Angeles
The position on facial recognition software:
- Officers & detectives are prohibited from using outside facial recognition platforms in their investigations
- They can continue to use Los Angeles County Regional Identification System which relies on criminal booking photos
- Los Angeles Times reports LAPD has used facial recognition software 30,000 times since 2009
The catalyst: Officers had used third party familial recognition software without permission
Los Angeles Times via Governing | Los Angeles Police Ban Use of Third-Party Facial Recognition
New Rules for Surveillance Software
Facial Recognition Software is a hot topic for policy makers.
The EU has new rules that allow for the sale of software, like facial recognition software, but adds a lot of transparency requirements.
What new rules will apply in the EU?
- require a license to sell technology with military applications
- due diligence on such sales to assess the possible human rights risks;
- require governments to publicly share details of the licenses they grant
MIT Technology Review | Europe is adopting stricter rules on surveillance tech
Texas Blockchain Rank: Reactionary
Who ranked Texas as reactionary on blockchain policy: The Brookings Institute
Who is talking about the ranking? The Texas Blockchain Council
Why did the Texas Blockchain Council form? “Texas is positioning itself to pick up the mantle of leadership in the emerging technology space”
Long term goals: “public-private partnerships that include research institutes, regulatory agencies, private companies, and economic development entities to incubate and develop a blockchain innovation ecosystem “
www.texasblockchaincouncil.com
Texas Blockchain Council Launches to Make Texas a Leader in Blockchain Innovation
Anatomy of Canada’s New Broadband Fund
- $1.75 billion Universal Broadband Fund
- 50/10 Megabits per second (Mbps) to rural and remote communities
- up to $750 million available for large impact projects
- up to $50 million available to support mobile projects that primarily benefit Indigenous peoples.
- up to $150 million available as part of our Rapid Response Stream
High Speed Access for all: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy.
License Plate Readers. Cities. Crime. Data Privacy.
Cities are trying to tackle high crime areas by collecting data on the cars that enter certain high crime portions of their cities.
What do privacy advocates say?
- Creates permanent records of virtually everywhere any of us has driven
- Transforms the consequences of leaving home to pursue private life, and opening up many opportunities for abuse,
- Tracking people’s location constitutes a significant invasion of privacy
The most recent city to dip its toe in license plate reader pool? Wichita KS
Wichita Eagle via Governing | Wichita to Take License Photos in High-Crime Neighborhoods
New State Tool for Cyber Security Enforcement
S4833 (116th Congress | Hassan & Cornyn) would give states access tot he National Guard to enforce cyber security laws.
Data Security = Big Business = Big Legislation
Goldman Sachs estimates that by 2022 the global data industry will be worth more than $250 billion.
So what are investors looking for? How will legislation and regulation impact data security, advertisement, marketing and the requisite data.
Add in pop culture…. with the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma that echoed the phrase– “if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product”.
Stockhead | Data security is about to be big business as legislative winds begin to shift
New Texas Broadband Recommendations
Who made the recommendations? Governor’s Broadband Development Council
Where do I read all their fancy words? 2020 Texas Report Governor’s Broadband Development Council
What are their recommendations?
- The Texas Legislature create a state broadband plan
- The Texas Legislature create a state broadband office
- Study the benefit of a state broadband funding program to incentivize deployment in unserved areas
Reform Austin | Governor’s Council: How More Texans Could Have Broadband Access
New Regulatory Avenue: Crypto Currency Credit Cards
What’s coming our way? Crypto currency credit cards
How? ZenGo, a c crypto currency start up, is working with Visa to develop a non-custodial crypto payment card
How will the credit card work? It will be the first card tied to a self-hosted, on-chain, multi-currency wallet where funds are controlled by the user
Ballot Prop. Yes to Data Privacy
56+% California voters approved new data privacy standards in the state including:
- 3x fines for companies that violate kids’ privacy
- Create a dedicated state agency to enforce data privacy laws
- Holds big business accountable
- Closes loopholes that proponents say companies like Facebook, Google, Spotify and others have exploited
Champions of the proposition:
- Alastair Mactaggart, a San Francisco real estate developer
- Consumer Reports, Common Sense Media and Consumer Watchdog
- Andrew Yang
Desert Sun | Proposition 24: Californians approve more data privacy rules
How California is changing its FinTech regulation.
The legislation: AB 1864 (2020 | CA)
The revamped state regulatory body: California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation
What powers will California have that it did not before? The power to enforce laws against unregulated industries
What does the regulator say about innovation and fintech? The agency will have the ability to “Spur innovation in financial services by clarifying regulatory expectations for emerging products and services.”
California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) | California Consumer Financial Protection Law
New Kid on the Block. Company Sells Cars for Bitcoin
Who: Crypto Cars Online
Where: Dallas, Texas, Crypto Cars Online partnered with local dealerships
Which cryptocurrencies are accepted for the transaction? Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and USD Coin
Does Crypto Cars finance cars with bitcoin? Yes
Crypto Cars Online | The First Crypto Currency Auto Finance Company in the U.S.
Wyoming Crypto Friendly. Crypto Bank Friendly.
Wyoming has granted Avanti authority to operate as a bank.
What does this mean? Avanti can offer a United States dollar-backed stablecoin, digital assets custody services & API-based online banking services
When did Wyoming create this crypto friendly environment? 2018 legislation HB 70 (2018 | WY)
BTC Manager | Bitcoin-Friendly Wyoming Grants Avanti a Bank Charter
COVID Brings More Hackers
The COVID hacking targets: health care providers and hospitals
The hackers: cyber criminal groups & nation states targeting COVID-19 research with the intent to sow chaos
Who is tracking cyber events against health care providers and hospitals? COVID-19 CTI League
The Hill | Hospitals brace for more cyberattacks as coronavirus cases rise
State Consolidates IT Standards + Procurement
The state: Pennsylvania
The consolidation: SB 810 (2020 | PA)
How it would change IT in state government:
- create the Office of Information Technology
- establish cybersecurity standards for the entire state government
- manage and maintain all IT procurement
- make recommendations for future consolidation, integration, and investment
- implement a strategic plan for future IT projects
The goals:
- Streamline costs. IT spending totals nearly $1.1 billion annually, the 5th largest GR appropriation
- Security. PA ranks 6th for cyber attacks in the US
- Improved data breach responses. The FBI ranks PA’s responses the 2nd worst in the nation
Pennsylvania Business Report | Legislation would consolidate IT across agencies
Tech Caucus in Texas
Who: Innovation and Technology Caucus of the Texas House
Origins: 2015
Twitter: @ITCaucus
Government Offers App to Make Data Breach Notification Easier for Companies
Which government has a new data security app called, NotifyUs? New Zealand
Who pushed for the app for New Zealand data breached? New Zealand’s privacy commissioner
What does the App do? helps entities based in New Zealand determine whether a data breach needs to be reported or not
Daily Swig | New Zealand launches data breach notification tool
Facial Recognition Software Local Ballot Proposition
Where: Portland, Maine
Didn’t Portland Maine city council ban facial recognition software? yes, but privacy advocates say it doesn’t go far enough so we have a November ballot proposition
What does the ballot proposition do beyond banning facial recognition software?
- prohibits the use of facial recognition software in court
- right to sue for violations with penalties of up to $1,000
- city employees could be suspended/ terminated for violating the restrictions
Biometric Update | Facial recognition legislation delayed in New Orleans, considered in Pennsylvania
WGME | ‘It’s a racist tool:’ Portland group wants voters to strengthen ban on facial recognition
Pennsylvania Scouts New State Technology By 7 Step Framework
What are the 7 elements in Pennsylvania’s framework to adopt new technology for state government:
- performance
- business
- data
- application
- technology
- security
- digital
Pennsylvania says these 7 steps helps ensure their technology investments are worthwhile and prudent.
Government Technology | CIOs on How to Reframe the Future with Emerging Tech
The Utah Approach to Emerging Technology & State Government
In the new economy, Technology and State Government go together like coffee and cookies in a Swedish Fika.
So, let’s look at how they do it in the Great State of Utah:
- WHO reviews new technology for the state: An agency review board made up of staff from various departments and business areas.
- HOW do the recommendations work? The board offers specific organizational perspectives on how a technology might be used to solve business problems for the state.
- DO THEY GET HELP? Yes, an external technology advisory board with representatives from outside of state government
- HOW DO THEY WORK TOGETHER? The two groups work together to ensure effective vetting before any tech investment are made
- NEW KID: The Center for Excellence for Artificial Intelligence established in 2019 is reviewing about a dozen major initiatives
Government Technology | CIOs on How to Reframe the Future with Emerging Tech
State Proposition. Create Stand Alone State Agency for Data Privacy
Where: California
What: Proposition 24 would creates a dedicated state agency to enforce data privacy laws & adds dozens of specifics and exceptions for privacy in certain business
Why are privacy advocates opposed?
- Privacy advocates support a opt-in framework for collection and use of people’s personal information, and the Proposition supports an opt-out system
- True enforcement only comes when it allows for civil causes of action, otherwise it is meaningless
- Creates a new loophole for “pay-for-privacy” for loyalty card data
- ACLU says it reinforces this notion that companies should be allowed to charge people for their privacy
Los Angeles Times via Governing | California Hopes to Further Refine Online Privacy
Public Official Disclosures of CryptoCurrency
Add Spain to the list of countries seeking financial disclosures for public officials of their bitcoin.
Why does this matter? Does your jurisdiction require crypto currency disclosures of public officials? Is your jurisdiction considering legislation related to crypto currency?
Reuters | Spain plans bill to force disclosure of crypto-currency holdings
BLM. City Procurement Changes
Where: Birmingham, AL
What is happening: A purchasing agreement for law enforcement software included specific disclaimer language to prohibit the software use for facial recognition purposes
Alabama Media Group | Birmingham Reassures: Police Tech Won’t Use Facial Recognition
Data. Migration Data = Election Data?
Since 2008, an estimated 700,000 Californians have moved to Texas.
The 2020 question is: Do the Californians that have moved to Texas vote in numbers that turn Texas to a swing state?
What do Texas experts say? Migration is an element, but so is the growth in Texas’ internal demographic shifts such as increased Latino population & growing metro areas
CalMatters | How California expats are helping turn Texas into a battleground state
CARES Act for COVID Broadband in Missouri
How much did Missouri set aside from its CARES Fund for rural broadband? $50 million
How many estimated households will benefit? 10,000 new households
Who else will benefit in Missouri from the CARES Act COVID funds for internet service? telehealth, libraries and remote learning
Kansas City Star via Governing | Over 70,000 Kansas Homes Finally Getting High-Speed Internet
CARES Act COVID Funds for Rural Broadband
Where: Kansas
How were the COVID funds allocated in Kansas for rural broadband? The State Finance Council previously approved the use of federal coronavirus relief funding to improve broadband access
What else will also be getting improved internet access?
- government buildings will get fiber optic cable
- libraries, schools and health departments will have connections they have not had access to before
Kansas City Star via Governing | Over 70,000 Kansas Homes Finally Getting High-Speed Internet
BLM. Protests + Private Surveillance Cameras + Local Government Access
Can local governments access private surveillance cameras- say like your doorbell’s camera or the cameras of your local improvement district?
Where is this happening? San Francisco, CA
What rules are in place for San Francisco to use private surveillance footage? They can if and only if they get approval from the local government
What’s alleged during BLM protests? That San Francisco police accessed real-time surveillance footage from private cameras in the Union Square area without first obtaining necessary approval from the Board of Supervisors
Why do we care?
- San Francisco was quick to stop using facial recognition software on the one hand but on the other police may have accessed private camera footage during a protest.
- National organizations are involved- the ACLU, EFF (Electronic Freedom Foundation)
- Camera and surveillance use legislation/regulation is common in response to BLM and this access to private video is an issue in all these public and stakeholder decisions
San Francisco Chronicle via Governing | San Francisco Sued for Allegedly Video Surveilling Protests
New Kid on the Block. New Board at TechNet
The new kid on the Executive Council at Technet: The DoorDash CEO
The TechNet Executive Council:
- Greg Becker CEO Silicon Valley Bank
- John T Chambers, CEO JC2 Ventures
- John Doerr Chair Kleiner Perkins
- Mike Gregoire Managing Director Brighton Park Capital
- Terry Howerton CEO TechNexus Venture Collaborative
- Ed Knight Vice Chair NASDAQ
- Bastian Lehmann CEO Postmates
- Aaron Levie CEo Box
- Kim Polese Chair Crowdsmart
- KR Sridhar CEO Bloom Energy
- Julie Sweet CEO Accenture
- Kelly Mahon Tullier General Counsel Visa
- Tony Xu CEO DoorDash
What is perception hacking?
What is perception hacking? Think of the election and social media.
Perception hacking is “manipulating people into thinking they are being manipulated”
Why do we care? perception hacking is being utilize din the 2020 election and could be a constant moving forward
Anatomy of a Veto: Social Media Data Privacy Bill
Where: California
The legislation that Govern Newsom vetoed: AB 1138 (2020 | CA)
Why did the Governor veto this bill? it would not meaningfully protect children & there is existing federal law overlap
The goal os AB 1138: to obtain parental consent for social media use by any person under the age of 13
Amending California’s Data Privacy Law: Employee Info
California’s AB 1281 (2020 | CA) extends an exception to California’s Data Privacy Law for information related to:
- job applicants
- employees
- business owners
- directors
- officers
- medical staff
- contractors
ADLaw | California Privacy Legislation Round-Up: Gov. Newsom Signs CCPA Employee Exemption Extension, Vetoes Others
+1 City OKs Facial Recognition Software
The city: Detroit, MI
What did city councilors say in support?
- Citizens say they’re afraid of being victims of crimes & want police to have all tools available to them
- It is a tool to make law enforcement more efficient, detectives still have to investigate
What is Detroit’s background with facial recognition software? The city began a contract in 2017. This vote updates that software to improve it.
Does the police department use the software across the board? No, the department has a “strict policy” to only use it for the most egregious violent crimes and home invasions
Detroit News via Governing | Detroit Approves Police Use of Facial Recognition Software
COVID Veto. Genetic testing privacy bill.
Where: California
What legislation: SB 980 (2020 | CA) would have established privacy protections over the data collected by genetic testing companies like Ancestry.com and 23andMe
What privacy protections?
- clear notice to individuals when their genetic material is shared to 3rd parties
- allow consumers to revoke their consent to certain disclosure procedures
The veto rational? bill could “unintentionally impede” the critical COVID-19 reporting requirements
How Governments Incentivize Tech Employees
Let’s look at how the CIA is incentivizing tech employees, since they can’t compete with private sector salaries.
The CIA created CIA Labs that will allow:
- CIA employees to publicly file patents on the intellectual property
- CIA employees for the 1st time would be able to collect a portion of the the profits & the CIA gets the remainder of the profits
- The cap for the employee: 15% of the total income from the new invention with a cap of $150,000 per year.
MIT Technology Review | CIA’s new tech recruiting pitch: More patents, more profits
New Economy: Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus
To remain competitive, an expanded use of AI is crucial for small business and education system, as members of the Congressional AI Caucus are calling for an use of artificial intelligence.
What kind o policy changes are we talking about?
- transparency regarding data
- AI should be promoted in schools to build a competitive workforce
- promote governmental efforts to develop innovative uses of AI
The Hill | Lawmakers call for expanded AI role in education, business to remain competitive
+1 State Uses More Facial Recognition Software
The state: Colorado
The expanded use of facial recognition software: law enforcement agencies have asked Colorado’s DMV 227 times to run facial recognition software against its data base. Including of protestors.
Does Colorado have a law about the use of facial recognition software? No
Have Colorado cities opted out? Yes, Denver opted out.
Denver Post via Governing | Colorado Police Have Quietly Expanded Facial Recognition Use
Securing IoT Devices with Legislation
The legislation: H.R. 1668: IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020
What will it require? all internet-connected devices purchased by the federal government this includes computers, mobile devices and other products with the ability to connect to the internet to comply with minimum security recommendations issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
What burden would be on the private sector?
- that their devices comply with the minimum security recommendations
- to notify agencies if the device has a vulnerability
Why the legislation? There are no national standards to ensure the security of these connected devices
The Hill | House approves bill to secure internet-connected federal devices against cyber threats
Agriculture Technology is the Future. COVID Repercussions.
What are the economic estimates if agricultural interests adopted the latest technology innovations? generate $18 billion to $23 billion annually
What does technology access look like for farmers?
- 2/3 of soybean farmers don’t have “adequate internet connectivity to run their businesses” according to a United Soybean Board report
- COVID has heightened the importance of the food chain supply
- 2 farmers in Maine reported their sales moved online but the internet is so slow they fill orders in the middle of the night
Solutions to bring technology to rural areas:
- electric cooperatives can provide middle-mile fiber
- Wabash Heartland Innovation Network is using an aerostat, a kind of blimp, to provide “broadband for tens of miles to improve broadband access
Government Technology | The Future of Farming Relies on Internet Connectivity
+1 State Adopts COVID Tracking App
The State: Pennsylvania
The App: COVID Alert PA
What technology does Pennsylvania’s App use? Exposure Notification System technology developed by Apple and Google
How does it notify app users of having been in close contact with someone who tests positive?
- The App sends a “COVID-19 Exposure Alert” to other users’ phones
- If the app user has been within 6 feet of a person who tested positive for 15 minutes or more
The App also provides COVID data for users.
Who composed the partnerships that brought the App to Pennsylvanians?
- Pennsylvania and Delaware
- technology company NearForm
- University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Internet Privacy Research Institute
Pocono Record via Governing | Pennsylvania: Add Phones to the Fight and Download COVID App
How Connectivity Limited a Legislature’s Meetings & Hearings
Where: New Mexico
What connectivity issues does New Mexico have? lack of broadband and fiber. Residents within 10 minutes of the largest cities face connectivity issues as well as those in rural areas.
How has the connectivity issues impacted the Legislature?
- 1/3 of the usual number of interim hearings
- how to recognize legislators for questions during virtual hearings
- how to ensure video coverage of facial responses of legislators
- Operator issues such as
- “legislators had trouble unmuting themselves to vote”
- “sounds of sneezing and barking dogs”
How has the Legislature addressed some of these challenges? By offering 1 on 1 training for legislators by the legislature’s computer experts
Santa Fe New Mexican via Governing | New Mexico’s Legislative Activity Slowed by Bad Internet
Meet the New Kid: The Public Innovation Academy
Who started the Public Innovation Academy: Abhi Nemani of Code for America, former chief data officer of Los Angeles and CIO of Sacramento, CA
What will the Public Innovation Academy do?
- online training venture as being aimed at helping people who perform jobs that aren’t necessarily technical
- sharing lessons learned from large cities with civil servants in smaller and mid size cities
Goverment Technology | Public Innovation Academy Offers Practical Training for Gov
Texas Privacy Protection Advisory Council REPORT.
The Report offers these concepts to consider for future legislation:
- The regulatory and compliance costs of CCPA and GDPR which may have created uneven benefits and restrictions to certain consumers and businesses. Many companies in Texas are already complying with both laws and any Texas law should seek to compliment and not conflict with existing federal laws and frameworks.
- The Fourth Amendment protections.
- The duties and responsibilities of application resellers in governing privacy policies of third-party vendors.
- The impact of COVID-19.
The report offers these recommendations:
- Process for ensuring that all state agencies are adhering to privacy standards, and policies are continually updated to reflect new technologies, business practices, and risks.
- Proposals should consider a new and appropriate balance between additional consumer privacy protections and data security within a fair regulatory/compliance privacy framework.
- Proposals should consider the impact to highly regulated data, like health information or banking data, and how those proposals compliment applicable federal law.
- Legislation should be written broadly enough to allow the adoption of new technology and business standards.
- Proposals should consider existing laws in Texas and other states in order to not conflict.
- Texans have the right to know how their personal information is being used and the Legislature should consider ways to strengthen that right.
Texas Privacy Protection Advisory Council Report September 2020
+1 State Expands Data Breach Notification Statutes
The State: Michigan HB 4186 (2020 | MI)
What new information will trigger a notification if hackers get access to it?
- A state resident’s first name or first initial and last name in combination with one or more of the following data elements that relate to the resident:
- A nontruncated Social Security number, driver license number, state personal identification card number, passport number, military identification number, or other unique identification number issued on a government document.
- A financial account number.
- A medical or mental history, treatment, or diagnosis issued by a health care professional.
- A health insurance policy number or subscriber identification number and any unique identifier used by a health insurer.
- A username or email address, in combination with a password or a security question and answer, that would allow access to an online account that is likely to have or is used to obtain sensitive personally identifying information.
Notification timeline: Not more than 45 days from determining that a breach has occurred
Potential fines: $2,000 for each violation or not more than $5,000 per day for each consecutive day up to a total of $250,000
COVID. State Bonds for State Data Security
The State: Massachusetts
The Legislation: H4932 (2020 | MA)
The Bonds: $1.8 billion for critical investments in IT infrastructure to assist children, underrepresented populations
+1 Country Banning Trade of Cryptocurrency
Add India to the list of countries considering a ban on cryptocurrency trading.
What have other Asian governments chosen to do with cryptocurrency markets? Regulation
What has China banned? initial coin offerings
Economic Times | India plans to introduce law to ban cryptocurrency trading
Social Media + Elections = Voter Registration By App
How many people have register to vote over Snapchat? 407,024
Were the registrations sparked by a paid ad by a political organization? No
How did the vote registration links to Snapchat work? Snap Chat added a new feature to its app that provided voter registration information
COVID Effect. More Cyber Attacks on Manufacturing
The industries most targeted by hackers from January-June 2020:
- manufacturing
- technology
- telecom companies
Manufacturing increased an uptick in cyberattacks by 11% over 2019.
The manufacturing equipment targeted:
- business systems
- front-office systems
Rational for the increase in cyber events for manufacturing?
- vulnerability from the large-scale disruption in their global supply chain of materials due to COVID
CQ Roll Call via Governing | Cyberattacks on Manufacturing Industry Increase During COVID
New Tech: Texas Economic Development Corporation “World-Class Website”
Texas Economic Development Corporation has a new website that it describes as world class. So what does the new website offer:
- mobile adaptability
- ” streamlined access to essential information and data about doing business in Texas”
- ” compiles key statewide information about infrastructure, workforce, taxes and incentives and other areas of importance in economic development”
2020 Elections + Google + Autofill
Google is removing autofill in its search bars for that target candidates or voting.
What Google’s senior director of global policy and standards has to say: “We’re acutely aware that with this upcoming election … people have strong opinions and given the backdrop of COVID, there’s a lot of questions about voting information and how that might play out against the backdrop of the pandemic.”
So this means no autofill supporting, opposing or endorsing candidates or for voting information. The searches can occur, but will not be autofilled.
Tech Crunch | Google says it’s eliminating Autocomplete suggestions that target candidates or voting
Google | Our latest investments in information quality in Search and News
+1 Country Moving Toward National CryptoCurrency
The Country: Japan
Which bank is pushing for a national cryptocurrency? one of the nation’s national banks, the Bank of Japan
Why the urgency in Japan? China has a forthcoming cryptocurrency. The result of this, and China and Russia’s move away from an economy dependent on the dollar, is that ” the global stage has likely pushed China to turn into a leader in the computerized cash race.”
Data Security in Ultrasonic Welding.
What specific data should manufacturers be concerned about? protection of vital manufacturing data that contains controls, testing, and product performance
Which 3 stakeholders find the data security important for manufacturers? businesses, consumers, and regulators
Machine Design | Rethinking Data Security in Ultrasonic Welding and Manufacturing
BLM. Portland Bans Public + Private Facial Recognition Software
Where: Portland, OR
What: City Council passed an ordinance, the 1st in the nation, to ban both the public and private use of facial recognition software in public accommodations
How is Portland’s ban on facial recognition software different than those in Boston, San Francisco and Oakland, CA? Portland bans private entities from using the software in public accomodation
The exceptions to the ban? Face ID to open your own mobile phone
What 3 reasons did elected officials offer to support the ban?
- gender inaccuracies
- racial bias and inaccuracies
- intrusion on Portlanders’ privacy
How have software companies pivoted? Amazon, IBM and Microsoft have scaled back their sales of the software to law enforcement
The Hill | Portland adopts landmark facial recognition ordinances
Meet the Non Profit Looking for Security Breached in Apps
The non-profit that seeks out security breaches by apps:IDAC
What is IDAC goal? To protect consumer data
What recent discovery did it make? A fertility app on android phones was collecting a lot of personal data with no opt out for consumers
Why was the IDAC alerted? the App masked personal health data in the same way TikTok was masking data that it sent out
Is this new, finding a breach of personal health data on Apps? No, last year Consumer Reports identified Ovia, a pregnancy-tracking app that shares users’ data with their employers and insurers.
Supply Chain Cyber Security Recommendations + It’s Personal
The Solarium Commission that delivered a list of policy recommendations earlier this year is working on supply chain policy recommendation next.
Why this new action? COVID
Are the recommendations being targeted at certain issues? Yes, ““We have to have a comprehensive information technology communications strategy to counter what could be perceived as Chinese aggression and to ensure the continued availability and trustworthiness of our critical technology supply chain,”
Inside Cybersecurity: The Cyberspace Solarium Commission is working up white papers
Public Private AI Pilot for State Agency Security
The pilot program is the brain child of: Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
The governments that have joined: Arizona, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Texas, along with Maricopa County, Ariz
What is this pilot project? cybersecurity automation by identifying the threats that should be prioritized and triaged
The goals for the state governments: cut down on manual tasks & promote the sharing of actionable threat information
State Tech | States Join Automated Security Pilot with MS-ISAC, Johns Hopkins
Anatomy of a Broadband – Public School COVID Contract.
The parties: Comcast & Reading (PA) School Board
The purpose of the contract: remote learning
What had the School Board tried before this contract to expand access to broadband for students? Added outdoor Wi-Fi to 14 school district buildings
What benefits will the district receive for its $700,000 expenditure?
- a couple months free broadband for students
- connect as many as 10,000 homes at a cost of $9.95/month
Does Comcast have other similar partnerships to offer broadband to students? Yes, in Chicago; Atlanta; Pittsburgh; Sacramento, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; & Arlington, Va.
Reading Eagle via Governing | Reading Contracts With Comcast to Get Students Broadband
COVID Bump for CIOs
How did Chief Information Officers and those who work in data and data security get a bump in their profile because of COVID? Because the spread and data related to the coronavirus rose in importance, so did the import of those in charge of the data.
Instead of data being thought of as a defense (protect ourselves from hackers), data became an offense by showing how data can show the spread and containment of disease.
CIO Dive | The profile of the chief data officer rose in the pandemic
Universities & Election Officials. Partnership for Election Security.
The University of Chicago is pairing their cybersecurity experts with local election officials to assist with cyber security issues surrounding the November election.
What is the Univeristy of Chicago’s program called? Election Cyber Surge & began with 50 volunteer experts who have been vetted
MSNBC | Volunteer hacker army boosts U.S. election cybersecurity
TikTok Fallout for Government Contracts?
Writing on the wall with the FCC calling for comment on security threats in the existing supply chain rulemaking.
Why should this matter? Data security standards will fall into place in state and local government contracts too.
COVID. E-commerce By the Numbers.
How e-commerce is fairing in 2020 for retailers overall:
- forecast to grow 18% to $709.8 billion this year
- anticipated to represent 14.5% of total retail sales this year
For Home Depot specifically:
- e-commerce is more than 14% of the approximately $38.1 billion of net sales
- up from about 9% compared to 2019
- Total sales growth in the quarter—23%—was the company’s strongest in nearly 20 years
What tech devices were quickly adopted:
- services to provide for on sight pick up
- converting stores or warehouses into distribution centers for ecommerce
- capacity for mobile apps and web based shopping tools
COVID Improved the Digital Divide
Examples of how the digital divide was closer to closed because of COVID:
- Seattle’s Digital Bridge pilot program connecting low-income residents with low-cost refurbished laptops
- Seattle partnered with Wave Broadband to offer low-income households free home Internet for 60 days
- Washington State created Wi-Fi hot spots across the state
- Chattanooga, TN & Hamilton County, TN announced a 10 year initiative to offer no-cost high-speed home Internet to the 28,500 children who receive free or reduced-price school lunches — about 60% of the county school system’s students
- Philadelphia is connecting 35,000 families with no-cost Internet from Comcast for the next two years
- San Antonio, TX pledged to invest more than $27 million to provide broadband access through private wireless networks using existing fiber infrastructure on traffic lights
Governing | Some Encouraging Steps on the Path to Digital Inclusion
Corporations: Legislation to Prohibit Corporate Use of Facial Recognition Software
The legislation: National Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2020
What would corporations be prohibited from doing?
- keeping or maintaining biometric, including facial recognition, information
- prohibiting profiting from biometric information
- permits corporations to collect & maintain the information with consent
How would it be enforced? By state Attorneys General & individuals could bring suit
Quasi Govermental Officials + Cyber Security Training
Does Texas require cyber security training for government officials? Generally yes.
Does this apply to appraisal review board members? No because there is no definition of elected official even though the act specifically mentions that it applies to Appraisal Review Boards
Do I need to know more? To get to this conclusion, it relied on an Opinion from 1984 which said the election code didn’t apply to appraisal review board members.
Why do we care? Appraisal Review Board members handle property tax information, appeals, commercial property tax documents, zombie or dark store tax issues. This is going to include a lot of financial information that hackers might like or use for hacking fun times.
How a State Insurance Regulator Responded to CyberSecurity Insurance Laws
What’s happening? Connecticut passed the Connecticut Insurance Data Security Law which was modeled on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Model Cybersecurity Law.
In response to this, the state insurance regulator, issued this guidance:
- Information Security Program
Licensees must develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive written information security program (ISP) that complies with the Act by October 1, 2020. The ISP must be based on a risk assessment and contain safeguards for the protection of both nonpublic information and the licensee’s information systems.
- Third-Party Service Providers
Covered licensees must exercise due diligence in selecting service providers and must, by October 1, 2021, require each service provider to implement appropriate administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect and secure the information systems and nonpublic information that is accessible to and held by the service provider.
- Annual Certification by Domestic Insurers
Annually, beginning February 15, 2021, non-exempt Connecticut domestic insurers must certify compliance with the Act.
- Cybersecurity Event Investigations
Licensees or an outside service provider must conduct a prompt investigation in accordance with the Act after learning of a “cybersecurity event,” which is defined as “an event resulting in any unauthorized access to, or disruption or misuse of, an information system or the nonpublic information stored thereon, except if: (A) The event involves the unauthorized acquisition of encrypted nonpublic information if the encryption process for such information or encryption key to such information is not acquired, released or used without authorization; or (B) the event involves access of nonpublic information by an unauthorized person and the licensee determines that such information has not been used or released and has been returned or destroyed.”
- Notification of a Cybersecurity Event
Licensees must provide notice of cybersecurity events to the Insurance Commissioner as promptly as possible, but in no event later than three business days after the date of the event when either (1) Connecticut is, in the case of an insurer, the state of domicile, in the case of a producer, the home state of the producer; or (2) the licensee reasonably believes that the event involves nonpublic information of 250 or more consumers residing in Connecticut and state or federal laws require notification to a government entity, or there is a reasonable likelihood of material harm to Connecticut consumers or the licensee’s normal operations.
- Notification to Consumers
Licensees must comply with Connecticut’s data breach notification law and also provide a copy of any required notice to the Insurance Commissioner.
- Notice Regarding Cybersecurity Events of Reinsurers
Licensees acting as an assuming insurer must notify affected ceding insurers and its domiciliary regulator of a cybersecurity event involving nonpublic information that is used by such assuming insurer or in its possession, custody or control when it is acting as an assuming insurer with no direct contractual relationship with affected consumers not later than 72 hours after the assuming insurer discovered that the cybersecurity event has occurred.
- Notice by Insurers to Producers of Record
If the cybersecurity event involves nonpublic information that is in the possession, custody or control of an licensee acting as an insurer or a third-party service provider for an insurer, the Act requires the insurer to notify the producer of record for any affected consumer residing in this state who accessed services through an independent insurance producer of the occurrence of such event not later than the time at which notice is provided to such consumer, provided the insurer has the current producer of record information for such individual consumer.
Hinshaw & Culbertson – Consumer Crossroads | Another Cybersecurity Wake Up Call: Connecticut Insurance Department Issues Guidance on Cyber Law Set to go Into Effect
COVID Legislation. Notifying Workers of Exposure.
The State: California
The Legislation: AB (2020 | CA)
Supporters: Unions
Opponents: Business Groups
What would the bill do?
- require public & private employers to notify an employee within 24 hours of exposure to COVID
- imposes a fine up to $10,000 for failing to provide notification
- failure to notify is a misdemeanor
What kind of notification is required? “make every reasonable effort necessary to notify workers verbally”
What provision is most controversial? The bill’s ‘name and shame’ provision that requires state agencies to post on their websites company-specific coronavirus exposure information
Governing | California Bill Would Notify Workers of COVID Exposure
1st State Adopts Google Apple COVID Tracing App
Virginia became the 1st state to implement a COVID tracing app from Apple and Google
What did the Governor clarify?
- “Now, I want you all to listen to this very closely. I want to be clear, this app, Covidwise, does not — I will repeat that — does not track or store your personal information. It does not track you at all,”
How does it work? A person who tests positive may opt to anonymously notify the app to notify people who have been in their proximity
What data is used for notification? Bluetooth which means that the app dfoesn’t know where you are it only knows that you have been within a certain distance of another bluetooth device.
AP | Virginia first to roll out pandemic app from Apple, Google
+1 City Adding Internet for All
Add New Orleans to the cities adding citywide internet access to help students.
Where will New Orleans offer internet to help students with online classes this fall?
- rec centers
- parks
How will citywide internet access work? it will piggyback off city-owned fiber-optic cables
Is there a win for the city in addition to providing internet access to the estimated 30% of students who do not have access?
Yes, the city can use the internet access for traffic patterns or to determine whether streets are flooded
Governing | New Orleans Will Pilot Citywide Internet Access Program
BLM. Tech Companies + Diversity & Inclusion In Vendors.
Which tech companies are joining forces to improve diversity & inclusion?
- SurveyMonkey
- 23andMe
- Age of Learning (creator of ABCmouse)
- Box
- Chime
- Eventbrite
- Genesys
- HeadspaceI
- Intuit
- Leaf Group
- PagerDuty
- Slack
- Tile
- Tinder
- Upwork
- Zoom
What are these companies looking for in their vendors?
- representation of women in employees, leadership team, and board of directors
- representation of racial minorities in employees, leadership team, and board of directors
- representation of LGBTQ individuals within a vendor’s employee base, leadership team, and board of directors
How will diversity & inclusion be measured? By simple survey
COVID. Local TREND. Guaranteed Internet Access for all Students.
The City: Philadelphia, PA
What is Philadelphia promising students? Every student will have internet access (tools to access digital learning)
What partnership is necessary to achieve this goal? A partnership between the city, district officials, and internet service providers
What are some considerations to make this a reality?
- opening parts of school buildings, as well as city recreation centers and libraries
- providing child care for families who need it
- Meals and mental health services will be available to all students
Philadelphia Inquirer via Governing | Philadelphia Promises Internet Access for All Students by Fall
BLM +1 City Prohibiting Facial Recognition Software
Add Portland, Maine to the list of governmental entities prohibiting the use of facial recognition software.
Will the city permit lawsuits against city employees who violate the prohibition? No
Portland Herald Press via Governing | Maine’s Biggest City Decides to Ban Facial Recognition Tech
COVID Cares Act + Broadband Expansion
What are the competing interests in Cares Act funding of broadband projects?
- CARES Act is short-term funding response to COVID
- Broadband expansion is a long-term planning
- CARES Act requires that broadband projects be operational by Dec 31st to be funded
Which states are in this quagmire? Vermont, Alabama, Iowa, and New Hampshire
AP | States eager to expand broadband, wary of CARES Act deadline
COVID Tech Changes to Stay in Courts
The Courts keeping technology it relied on during DOVID: Ohio Court System
Why do Ohio Courts want to keep the technology changes from COVID?
- Judges realized the courts were actually behind in terms of technology
- They see the potential for ease & efficiency in the technology
- Webinar parenting classes were successful
Akron Beacon Journal via Governing | Ohio Courts Technology Upgrades Will Stay Post-Pandemic
California’s Blockchain Working Group Report
Recommendations for blockchain state implementation:
At the Department of Motor Vehicle:
- digital wallet for individual identification
- building a common blockchain platform for tracking a vehicle’s lifecycle
- creating a fine-grained security structure for sharing driver records across states
At the Department of Food & Agriculture
- To trace the source of food-borne contamination by collecting and organizing data from growers, transporters, wholesalers and retailers to locate products in the distribution system to speed recall and consumer notification
Move the State Archives online.
Recommendations for Blockchain industry:
- Offer incentives to blockchain companies that have an environmental sustainability plan or impact statement
- Industry should help the state develop blockchain policies and standards
California’s Blockchain Working Group Report to the Legislature
Meet the Texas Blockchain Council
Who are members of Texas Blockchain Council?
Hedera Hasgraph
Unchained capital
Ripple
A Real blockchain solution
Crestline Solutions
Foley
Kilroy Blockchain
Arski Tech
Vertalo
Austin Blockchain Collective
Dallas Baptist University
Houston Blockchain Alliance
Hyland
Vercey
Trammell Venture Partners
Mercintelli Healthcare Solutions
Interaxis
McCullough Sudan
HoneyComb Digital Investments
The goal: For Texas to become the top jurisdictions for U.S.-based blockchain businesses and investments
@txblockchain1
Cointelegraph | US State of Texas Saddles Up to Become the Next Blockchain Capital
+1 Country Adopts Collectible Bitcoin nationally
The country: Lithuania in coordination with the Lithuanian Bank
The name of Lithuania’s bitcoin? LBCOIN
What will a national bitcoin effectively be like? A credit card but Baltic & new
The numbers:
- €19.18 present value
- 4,000 collectable Independence currencies made by Lithuania
- 24,000 gatherer tokens
COVID partnership. Universities and health officials.
What partnership has emerged between health officials and universities? Utilizing university students as contact tracers
Where is this coming to fruition? Marin County, California in partnership with Dominician University & utilizing a contact tracing course from Johns Hopkins Univeristy
Route 50 | A Government-University Partnership to Train Students as Contact Tracers
COVID. Public Education Data Security Scrutiny
Who knows when in person school starts, but let’s face it before COVID schools relied more on technology. Technology that regulators can protect and used by children who regulators can protect. It is a regulatory free for all.
Leave it to the federal government to get to work. Congress is considering:
- the National Cyber Director Act that creates the federal cybersecurity director to oversee cybersecurity regulations nationwide
- PROTECT Act that will develop the cybersecurity skills of students in elementary and secondary schools
Why does this sound familiar? InfoHive subscribers will recall our easily digestible summary of the the Cyberspace Solarium Commission recommendations, including Cybersecurity Lessons from the Pandemic, released in May.
EdWeek | Congress Heightens Emphasis on K-12 Cybersecurity During COVID-19
COVID Contact Tracing Privacy Concerns
- North Dakota’s COVID contact tracing app collected GPS data that was being sold to FourSquare
- Apple & Google contact tracing tech is relying on blue tooth technology and not GPS
- 71% of Americans have said that they would not use a contact-tracing app
- Kansas passed emergency legislation prohibiting contact tracing that uses cellphone location data to identify or track individuals
State Scoop | Privacy concerns have states taking it slow on contact tracing apps
Legislative TREND. Laws against weak passwords
Where: The UK
What? UK wants to reign in hacking, especially hacking of the internet of things, like your thermostat that could come with a preset password like hello, by prohibiting weak passwords.
Anatomy of North Carolina’s Data Security Bill
The North Carolina Legislation: HB 904 (2019-2020 | NC)
The goal: Protect the personally identifiable information of North Carolina residents- even if the business is located elsewhere
What requirements are on businesses? reasonable security procedures must be in place + 30 day notification requirements after discovery of a breech
This legislation also rolls in Equifax response legislation of free credit freezes & notification to all credit reporting agencies of freezes.
WRAL Tech Wire | States enacting protections against data breaches – here’s what NC is proposing
COVID Greets Emerging Technologies + New Regulations
The COVID reality has bestowed attention on these emerging technologies:
- thermal imaging is being bought by private industry & governments to measure temperatures
- social distance measuring tools, mostly from cellphone data
- delivery robots
- drones
Government Technology | Pandemic Acts as Trial Run for Many Emerging Technologies
Can a cryptocurrency transfer be traced?
When verified twitter accounts were held by hackers last week, questions emerged about crypto currency transactions. Here’s how our recollection was refreshed:
Crytocurrency transactions are irreversible
Cryptocurrency transactions are virtually untraceable
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