December 2, 2019 – Cyber Law Watch

A JEDI Uses the Force for Knowledge and Defense: The Pentagon awards US$10billion JEDI cloud deal to Microsoft

Dec 02 2019

In October, the US Department of Defence (DoD) awarded the Joint Enterprise Defence Infrastructure (JEDI) contract to Microsoft to overhaul its IT infrastructure – a huge show of confidence in infrastructure as a service (IaaS).

The DoD’s award of the 10-year, $10 billion JEDI contract to Microsoft is an endorsement of the secure nature of Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing service. Under this deal, Microsoft’s task is to create a globally responsive network and monitor ongoing issues such as bugs and breaches. Part of the deal involves moving sensitive data, including classified mission operations, to Microsoft Azure. The system must be fortified with robust cyber security and encryption as Microsoft bears the important responsibility for the defence of the US.

The DoD’s decision to move to the cloud is a clear signal that IaaS has come of age, considering when such a security sensitive operation is able to use the service.

California’s answer to the GDPR – the California Consumer Privacy Act kicks in on 1 Jan 2020

Dec 02 2019

By Cameron Abbott ,Tan Xin Ya and John ReVeal

In just a short few weeks, a monumental change of privacy regulations will kick in for US businesses. On 1 January 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) will come into effect, with a compliance deadline at the end of January 2020, and signifies a shift in tone in the privacy sphere for the US – with a move closer to global privacy norms, and away from the perspective that personal data is a company asset.

A series of data disasters such as Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal and the massive Equifax breach left many Americans feeling powerless. Regulators stepped in after the fact to punish the companies, but at the time, there was little that U.S. consumers could do to prevent data breaches. Under the CCPA, Americans (well, Californians, mostly) move a step closer to general privacy protection. However, the Act only targets larger companies or those with prolific data use so there is still a long way to go to being general protection.

In October, the California Governor signed five bills to amend CCPA to provide some regulatory relief for businesses when the CCPA comes into effect. For a detailed analysis on the amendments, we refer you to Volume 2 of our colleagues’ Volume 2 of The Privacists available at the K&L Gates Hub.

Archive:December 2, 2019