| MOST POPULAR Three Days at RSA
Government Technology Staff Writer Lucas Ropek spent a few days at RSA in San Francisco this week, but he didn’t have as much company as anticipated. Coronavirus fears kept some attendees from the international conference, while Mayor London Breed echoed the statements of experts who described infection risks as low, despite growing fears. Chris Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Department of Homeland Security, was on hand to talk about his agency’s mission to fortify the federal government while lending guidance to state and local agencies with leadership roles in critical systems like elections. Another RSA headline involved the most talked-about cyberthreat of the past couple years: ransomware. FBI Special Agent Joel DeCapua detailed the role of his agency in helping investigate incidents, reporting that the FBI is now looking into 49 distinct types of ransomware.
Breach Bulletin
Speaking of the federal government, the Defense Information Systems Agency recently admitted it had a breach between May and July of 2019, in which names and Social Security numbers were exposed. Those affected were notified earlier this month and offered credit monitoring services at no charge. The App Next Door
Government has long been able to use the neighborhood-focused site Nextdoor to solicit feedback and distribute information to the public, but the company has heeded feedback from public agencies to give them the same functionalities from the field. The new app is an even more valuable tool for local governments and public safety agencies, who can now use geo-targeting tools from mobile devices to communicate emergency information and be more responsive to citizens. | 