Tag Archive for: Maryland

Navy Petty Officer Jamica Ballard: From Maryland to Norfolk, Serving with Pride Aboard USS Kearsarge

/in


Credit: Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Patricia Elkins, Navy Office of Community Outreach

NORFOLK, Va. – Petty Officer 1st Class Jamica Ballard, hailing from Fort Washington, Maryland, is a dedicated member of the United States Navy, stationed aboard a warship docked in Norfolk, Virginia. Ballard’s journey from Friendly High School in 2008 to the USS Kearsarge today is a testament to her unwavering commitment to serve her country.

Ballard’s experiences in Fort Washington have played a significant role in shaping her outlook on her Navy career. She shared a valuable lesson she learned from her mother, saying, “The main lesson I carry with me is from my mom. She always told me to never take things personally when I’m doing a job. That lesson helps me adapt to various environments and work with people with different personalities because I may not always get along with everyone, but I can’t take it to heart.”

Joining the Navy 14 years ago, Ballard’s journey began during the throes of the economic recession. She reflected on her decision, stating, “I was working at Blockbuster when the recession started. The economy was going through a hard time, and Blockbuster got phased out, so I lost my job. My older brother was interested in joining the Navy, and I went with him when he was being recruited. I ended up going, but he didn’t.”

Today, Ballard serves as a mass communication specialist aboard the USS Kearsarge, a formidable vessel with a crew of approximately 1,200 members capable of accommodating up to 1,800 Marines. USS Kearsarge is part of the Wasp class of multipurpose amphibious assault ships, carrying out critical missions that involve the transfer of Marines, equipment, supplies, and air support capabilities.

The role of the Navy and sailors like Ballard in America’s defense strategy cannot be understated. As the nation focuses on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances, and reforming business practices in line with the National Defense Strategy, Ballard emphasizes the Navy’s significance. “I think the Navy is important to national defense, especially for what we represent…

Source…

After computer shutdown, a Maryland county buys cyber protection. Is that enough?

/in


A holiday cyber attack threw one Western Maryland county for a loop, altering some police operations, slowing down the office of the state’s attorney, and preventing online payments. Other jurisdictions in the state could learn lessons from the holiday hack of Washington County.

“You don’t want to be in a situation where you don’t know what you’re going to do if an incident happens,” said Markus Rauschecker, cybersecurity program director at the University of Maryland’s Center for Health and Homeland Security, an academic nonprofit consulting firm that advises local governments dealing with cyber incidents.

Rauschecker, also a member of the Maryland Cybersecurity Council, a group led by the state’s Attorney General and established by law to improve cybersecurity in Maryland, said each jurisdiction should have a plan, which “outlines the exact roles and responsibilities that every entity has with respect to cyber incident response.”

Months after the Thanksgiving Day incident, Washington County officials have tried to move forward, with the commissioners purchasing a pricey cyber protection system earlier this year, but the question remains: Is the county better prepared today than it was then?

Washington County Board of Commissioners President John Barr did not consent to questions during a break in the July 11 county commissioners meeting. Questions were referred to the county’s public relations department, which responded by email to several questions, including one asking what the county is doing going forward to protect citizens’ information.

“Information privacy and security are among the County’s highest priorities,” said Danielle Weaver, a county spokeswoman, in an email. “We have strict security measures in place to protect information in our care.

“Upon discovery (of) this incident, we quickly took steps to investigate and respond, including reviewing and enhancing our existing policies and procedures to reduce the likelihood of a similar future event,” Weaver said. “Washington County continues to review and enhance our cybersecurity posture by implementing additional safeguards.”

Those safeguards were not indicated in the email response…

Source…

Victim Count in Maryland Ransomware Breach Jumps Fivefold

/in


Breach Notification
,
HIPAA/HITECH
,
Security Operations

Atlantic General Hospital Now Says Attack Compromised PHI of Nearly 137,000

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee (HealthInfoSec) •
June 26, 2023    

Victim Count in Maryland Ransomware Breach Jumps Fivefold
Image: Atlantic General

A Berlin, Maryland-based hospital recently told regulators that a ransomware breach discovered in January had compromised the sensitive information of nearly 137,000 patients, about five times the number of people originally estimated as having been affected by the incident.

See Also: Live Webinar | The Secret Sauce to Secrets Management

Atlantic General Hospital provided the updated breach tally in a report submitted to Maine’s attorney general on Friday, which supplemented a March 24 filing estimating that about 30,700 people – including three Maine residents – had been affected by the ransomware incident.

The hospital now said that 32 Maine residents are among the total 136,981 individuals affected.

Some experts say the significant increase in the number of individuals illustrates the breach analysis challenges that many organizations encounter in the aftermath of a ransomware or other hacking incident.

“Obtaining an accurate count of affected individuals and determining the type of compromised data in the aftermath of ransomware incidents can be time-consuming due to the need for thorough forensic investigations, extensive data analysis, and the complexity of healthcare systems, which often involve numerous interconnected databases and sources of information,” said Jon Moore, chief risk officer at privacy and security consultancy Clearwater.

Organizations often face regulatory deadlines…

Source…

TSA Now Accepts Mobile IDs in Google Wallet on Android Mobile Devices, Starting with Maryland

/in


In collaboration with the State of Maryland and Google, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) now accepts Maryland-issued mobile driver’s licenses and ID cards in Google Wallet on Android mobile phones at select TSA airport security checkpoints.

TSA PreCheck® passengers will be able to use this new feature at checkpoints for identity verification at 25 participating airports.

“TSA’s partnership with Google and Maryland spotlights our commitment to implementing new technologies and expanding use of mobile driver’s licenses,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “This launch represents the first mobile driver’s license in Google Wallet. We continue to work closely with other states on deploying this capability across the country. TSA is committed to collaborating on international, open standards that provide enhanced security, privacy protections and offers airline passengers a more efficient and convenient travel experience.”

To present their ID in Google Wallet at select TSA checkpoints, passengers will approach the podium at the first station in the screening process. The passenger may consent to provide their mobile identification from Google Wallet by simply turning on Bluetooth and holding their Android smart phone or watch on the second-generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) reader device.  The digital identity information from the mobile driver’s license is encrypted and transmitted digitally to CAT-2, where the passenger’s real-time camera photograph will be compared against the encrypted mobile identity information from Google Wallet and their reservation data that would have been on the passenger’s boarding pass.  Once the CAT-2 confirms the identity match, a TSA officer will verify the match and the passenger will proceed to security screening – without ever exchanging a boarding pass.  TSA officers may perform additional passenger verification if needed. The real-time live camera photograph and the mobile identification information is not kept, transmitted or used for any purpose other than for the immediate identity verification by a TSA officer. Passengers who do not wish to participate in facial…

Source…