Nuclear threats are serious – but officials, the media and the public keep a close eye on them. There’s less attention to the dangers of cyberattacks, which could cripple key utilities.
A Nobel Prize-winning political economist found a way to promote good governance and protect users without the need for heavy-handed government regulation.
Richard Forno, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Ransomware has crippled governments and companies around the world, encrypting data and demanding payment for the decryption key – though that’s no guarantee of recovering the information.
States like California have been at the forefront of privacy innovation in recent decades. A possible federal law could bring their experimentation to a halt, harming consumers.
Trump’s new executive order reflects a fear of sabotage, where an enemy such as China or Russia could turn off critical infrastructure like the internet or communications capability.
Electric utilities have a right to make money on their government-granted monopolies, but customers also have a right to know what cyber-protections they would get if they paid more.
The tightening of the May 18 race, coming after Scott Morrison was seen to out-campaign Bill Shorten at the start of the campaign, will boost Coalition morale as pre-polling begins on Monday.
Scott Morrison has bragged about ‘stopping the boats’, but his government has failed to do anything meaningful to bolster cyber security and stop the malware.