Tag Archive for: seeks

Bill from Illinois Democrat seeks to bridge digital divide through free wifi in local parks


A Democratic congressman announced legislation this week that aims to use multiple federal government programs to bring broadband internet and computers to local parks across the country, bridging the digital divide in underserved communities by providing free internet services.

The Technology in the Parks Act of 2023, introduced by Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., aims to boost innovation, increase technology training and decrease inequality through multiple relevant internet programs.

“I believe that this legislation aligns with the nation’s commitment to fostering innovation, education, and community development,” Davis said in a statement. “This legislation, once passed, will contribute to building a more technologically inclusive society, ensuring that the benefits of advancements reach all corners of our community.”

The bill proposes an expansion of the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rates internet program to include local parks, which Davis said is key to bringing broadband access to outdoor community spaces, similar to the existing coverage for schools and libraries.

The FCC’s E-rate program helps schools and libraries across the country gain access to affordable broadband internet and is the government’s largest educational technology program.

The legislation would include local parks in the U.S. General Services Computers for Learning Program, providing access to computer equipment that federal agencies have identified as excess property and enabling technological advancements and digital literacy in those areas.

The third piece of the legislation would require the Labor Department to establish a program to offer grants for technology training programs in local parks, supporting skill development and ensuring that local parks that host such programs are eligible for E-Rate support.

The legislation “is a crucial step in bridging the technological divide and promoting education and skill development in our communities,” Davis said. “By extending E-Rate support to local parks, we empower these spaces to become hubs for technology training, creating opportunities for skill acquisition in areas such as coding, cyber…

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New CISO Global, Halcyon partnership seeks to combat ransomware



SiliconAngle reports that cyber resilience-focused companies CISO Global and Halcyon Technologies have collaborated to provide integrated security offerings featuring their respective cyber solutions …

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US trade rep seeks close economic security ties in Asia


TOKYO — The United States hopes to deepen trade ties with Japan as it fortifies cooperation on economic security with its Asian allies and partners, the top U.S. trade envoy said Wednesday.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s visit to Tokyo follows a trip to the Philippine capital, Manila, that she said highlighted a newly emerging partnership among the three countries as they build both economic and defense ties.

Tai met with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to discuss making supply chains more resilient and secure, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Tai also reviewed the status of negotiations on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF, a new trade pact proposed by Washington, emphasizing the importance of cooperation with Japan, it said.

The framework has 13 members, including the U.S., that account for 40% of global gross domestic product: Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Hayashi responded by welcoming more U.S. engagement in the regional economy, saying Japan will proactively discuss the plan with other partners.

Japan and the United States have been promoting multilateral cooperation, most recently with the Philippines as they share common concern over China’s growing influence and assertiveness in both security and economic activities.

But the U.S. has stepped up diplomacy across the region, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken stopping over the weekend in Vietnam, which Washington sees as a key component of its strategy for the region given the country’s traditional rivalry with its much larger neighbor China.

Tai also met Wednesday with Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura. The trade ministry said the two discussed strengthening supply chains — an issue that gained urgency amid shortages of computer chips and other goods during the pandemic. They also discussed ways to cooperate in the protection of human rights in business, the ministry said.

Japan and the United States have set up a taskforce that aims to eliminate human rights violations in international supply chains and to ban use of materials from…

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As Bellone seeks ‘centralized’ computer network, other Suffolk officials call for autonomy


As Suffolk moves to put a crippling ransomware attack behind it, County Executive Steve Bellone is touting a newly centralized infrastructure as the core of his efforts to secure disparate county networks.

“Never again will the county information technology security team be in a position to ask someone to fix a security concern because they don’t have the credentials to access systems themselves,” Bellone said.

But as Bellone moves to implement the long-planned vision, some other elected county officials, citing the impacts of the ransomware lockdowns and concerns about confidentiality, are pushing for even greater levels of security autonomy. The Sept. 8 cyberattack shut down a broad cross-section of county services for several months.

“We’re getting the hell out of there completely,” Suffolk Comptroller John Kennedy said of the county’s network. By the second week of March, Kennedy said he expects to have his office’s audit software application onto a remotely hosted cloud-based system that will be “completely off any county hardware or servers.”

WHAT TO KNOW

  • A newly centralized infrastructure is the core of County Executive Steve Bellone’s efforts to secure disparate Suffolk networks.
  • Other elected county officials, citing concerns about confidentiality, are pushing for even greater levels of security autonomy.
  • The consultant helping Suffolk search for its first chief information security officer said the county’s “siloed” structure of networks is one of its biggest challenges.

The structure of the network presents it with long-recognized challenges, with the county’s main Department of Information Technology controlled by the Bellone administration and sub-networks with varying levels of autonomy and responsibility, including separate IT staffs, and under elected officials such as the county clerk and sheriff.

Experts said that “siloed” approach can leave the county more vulnerable to attack and more of a challenge to get cyber insurance. But political realities leave others concerned that ceding too much control to the county executive could expose sensitive information to political foes.

Security dome over disparate systems

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