A new white paper, Personal Data Protection as a Driver for Improved Cybersecurity Practices in U.S. Public Transit has been published by Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) focusing on personal data protection and cybersecurity for US public transit agencies.
Authored by Scott Belcher, president and CEO of SFB Consulting, along with Katie Seckman, Harlan Belcher and Brandon Thomas, the paper examines how expanding data collection to improve services is increasing the importance of having robust and secure data management and privacy practices in place – something lacking in many US transit agencies.
Ultimately, transit agencies will be held to account just as any other business will be – regardless of industry – for the security of the data they collect, process, and leverage for service delivery or other purposes. A failure to protect personal data in the process not only has a direct impact on the data owner, but it can also have a material impact on an agency’s operations, finances, compliance status, and reputation.
Fortunately, with the institution of comprehensive enterprise risk management plans, agencies can establish and mature cybersecurity policies and practices that will allow them to both collect data to inform business improvements and protect the personal information of their customers and employees.
MTI is a University Transportation Center sponsored by the USDOT Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and by Caltrans. The Institute is located within San José State University’s Lucas Graduate School of Business.
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