Private Sector-Public Sector cybersecurity issues

Some observers say industry compliance with government regulations to improve cybersecurity is necessary to protect consumers and guard economic progress. Others state that regulation is a drag on industry, and actually reduces productivity.

Answer the following questions -- you may use the links provided below to begin your research, but you must find new, additional citations to supplement these to show that you did extra research. You may also want to refer back to discussions and assignments in the previous weeks.

Focus on the goals of private businesses, and the goals of lawmakers for economic progress and economic security -

1. Focusing on the goals of private businesses, and the goals of lawmakers for economic progress and economic security, select one example private-sector industry, describe the general business goals by using information on the web sites of one or two business within this industry, and explain why meta-data about customers and consumers is important to businesses within this industry. (here, meta-data means Big-Data collected about consumers to determine customer habits).

2. Describe some likely instances that demonstrate when the gathering of meta-data by businesses within this example industry may not be good for the customer. Use citations to support your arguments about how some action or result related to collection of meta-data may be harmful to customers.

3. What possible activities should lawmakers consider regulating to control the way that this example industry gathers and uses meta-data?

4. What are the goals of lawmakers in the public sector -- or why should lawmakers think regulating these possible industry activities is useful?

5. What might happen to the goals of this industry, and to the public sector goals, as more new cybersecurity regulations are put in place for business compliance?

Background: Possible effects on innovation due to cybersecurity government regulations --

1. Tech Companies Warn Privacy Rules Will Kill Innovation [2012]

2. Hospitals say Device Manufacturers Resist Boosting Cybersecurity

3. U.S. Chamber Leads Defeat of Cybersecurity Bill [2012].