*By Carlo Versano*
Most large corporations now employ a CIO, or chief information officer, who is charged with protecting and running the company's digital infrastructure.
Is it time for the federal government to hire its own CIO?
Rep. Will Hurd (R-Tex.) thinks so. He told Cheddar Friday that the spate of major data breaches ー even though they happen primarily at private companies ー warrants a federal czar to help protect consumers and potentially even levy penalties on companies that don't do enough to safeguard users' information.
Hurd noted that the vast majority of data breaches are made possible because some piece of software hasn't been patched, or permissions weren't properly secured. Typically, they're not sophisticated hacks. He thinks a "national breach standard" would help codify the processes for preventing these types of vulnerabilities.
"We're not following good, basic hygiene" with our data, Hurd said.
In addition, a tech czar would oversee the protection of the federal government's data, as well as cross-agency IT issues and would have the ability to audit agencies on their technology spending and help cut waste, Hurd said.
Hurd is one of just three members of Congress with a degree in computer science. But he said the importance of cybersecurity is at the forefront of many members' minds, even if they don't have the technical expertise to draft a bill. That's why he's doing it himself. "Recognizing there's a problem is important," he said.
Cybersecurity and data protection is one of the few truly "non-partisan" issues on the Hill, according to Hurd.
Hurd represents Texas' 23rd district, an 800-mile stretch from San Antonio to El Paso that includes more border-adjacent land than any other district in the country. He said technology could also help provide a solution to the border wall fight that has crippled the government. Specifically, he proposes a "smart wall" ー a combination of manpower and technology ー rather than a physical barrier.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rep-will-hurd-r-tx-wants-to-protect-americans-from-the-next-breach).
A Texas judge has ruled that Infowars host Alex Jones cannot use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying more than $1.1 billion to families who sued over his conspiracy theories that the Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax.
Former President Donald Trump was fined $5,000 on Friday after a disparaging social media post about a key court staffer in his New York civil fraud case was allowed to linger on his campaign website after the judge ordered it deleted.
Lawyer Kenneth Chesebro pleaded guilty to a felony on Friday just as jury selection was getting underway in his trial on charges accusing him of participating in efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in Georgia.
Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel.
Canada has removed 41 of its diplomats from India as tensions rise between the two nations.
Mitt Romney said he believes right-wing media is the reason for the radicalization of the GOP party.
An Army private who fled to North Korea before being returned home to the United States last month has been detained by the U.S. military, two officials said Thursday night, and is facing charges including desertion and possessing sexual images of a child.
Israel bombarded Gaza early Friday, hitting areas in the south where Palestinians had been told to seek safety, and it began evacuating a sizable Israeli town in the north near the Lebanese border, the latest sign of a potential ground invasion of Gaza that could trigger regional turmoil.
The Justice Department has secured a $9 million settlement with Ameris Bank over allegations that it avoided underwriting mortgages in predominately Black and Latino communities in Jacksonville, Florida, and discouraged people there from getting home loans.
Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Thursday, including in the south where Palestinians were told to take refuge, and the country's defense minister told ground troops to “be ready” to invade, though he didn’t say when.
