Some states in America now see broadband internet as a universal right and are fighting to give it to all of their residents. And some of these states are now using the recently-passed American Rescue Plan as a way to do it. 

In July of 2021, Virginia governor Ralph Northan announced a major plan that will expand broadband access to all Virginia residents by the year 2024. To make this plan a reality, Northam intends to use $700 million in federal funds set aside by the American Rescue Plan, which was passed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to assist citizens and states struggling to make ends meet. In total, more than $4 billion was promised to Virginia so Northam’s plan will just use a portion of the total sum.

Virginia isn’t alone in its quest to give all residents broadband access. Others such as Connecticut and the nation’s most-populated state, California, are promising to find ways to fund broadband for all. Connecticut’s plan is more comprehensive than California’s, with a goal of 2027 set in place. There is a good chance that more states will follow the lead created by these states as the demand for universal broadband becomes stronger and the need becomes more apparent. 

In 2020, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia crated a report that found one in five Virginia students lacked high-speed internet or a computer at home. Broadband coverage has always been sparse in rural areas, with many residents unable to even pay for the service. The Coronavirus pandemic only highlighted the need for internet access for all citizens, as most were forced to work from home and all students were required to attend classes online. More and more people and politicians are beginning to speak out, stating that broadband access is a right that all Americans are entitled to. 

With the 2022 mid-term elections beginning to loom over the American political landscape, the idea of creating broadband access for all Americans is becoming more and more popular, and will likely be a major debate point for politicians seeking office. 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pressed charges against First American Financial, a real estate company, for failing to abide by disclosure requirements and procedures. The acts of non-compliance came after personal identifying customer information was breached in 2019, including social security numbers and financial data. First American was found to be liable for having immense vulnerabilities in their cybersecurity management, rendering them in violation of Rule 13a-15(a) of the Exchange Act. 

Shockingly, First American’s information security team discovered said vulnerabilities months in advance of senior management’s response to the incident, but they did not comply with company policies by advising their superiors about it. First American initially learned of the mishap, which consisted of at least 800 million images being revealed unintentionally, when a cybersecurity journalist contacted them with the unfortunate news. Despite First American rapidly issuing a statement once leadership learned of the incident, they were penalized for the overall poor structure of compliance regarding security of their electronic data.

The severity of this incident was emphasized through statements reiterating that all of the confidential information accidentally leaked was within reach of anyone who had access to the internet. Furthermore, the company’s reputation took another huge blow when they were confronted with accusations of failing to implement a sufficient cybersecurity system by the New York State Department of Financial Services’ Cybersecurity Regulation in July of 2020.

Although First American did not outright admit to any wrongdoing, they accepted a cease and desist order and settled their mistakes by paying a $487,616 fine. First American expressed gratitude for the resolution that was reached, and they asserted that complying with disclosure mandates set forth by the SEC will continue to be a priority for them. The penalty imposed on First American for their faults is sure to set an example for their industry, especially considering they hold 21.07% of the market share and are one of four top mortgage title companies.

McDonald’s is the newest high profile business fractured by a widespread data breach. This time hackers stole private information originating in the US, South Korea, and Taiwan, but operations were not at all stalled by the incident. It is said that no financial information was touched in the US, but that the actors were able to access customer specific information in South Korea and Taiwan. Similar to findings in the recent EA hack, McDonald’s asserts this was not a ransomware attack, but rather consisted of store related data being stolen. 

When McDonald’s noticed their internal security system was experiencing an unauthorized action, they called on specialists to investigate. Upon realization of what was going on, the attempts by hackers to commit theft were put to an end pretty quickly. Some of the exact content that was accessed includes employee and franchise contact information, seating capacities, and the measurement of square footage in play areas. 

McDonald’s employees were advised shortly after the breach to remain vigilant of potential phishing emails and to be cautious about revealing information when it is requested. As for the countries where customer data was reached, regulators were consulted on the matter and they plan to notify all affected customers and even employees. South Africa and Russia are additional countries that investigators discovered to be possible targets as well, so they received a courteous warning about it. 

Expansive companies, whether critical infrastructure or just in existence for their popular products, are being repeatedly targeted by cyber criminals. McDonald’s is another example as to why all businesses need to have productive cybersecurity safeguards in place before they are taken aback by a cyber crime. McDonald’s did, however, claim to have been able to respond so quickly due to the security measures they already had incorporated into their operative procedures over the course of several years.