WHITE PAPER: How transit agencies must protect personal data

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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.

Images ©Adobestock

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About Author

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Tom has edited Traffic Technology International (TTi) magazine and its Traffic Technology Today website since May 2014. During his time at the title, he has interviewed some of the top transportation chiefs at public agencies around the world as well as CEOs of leading multinationals and ground-breaking start-ups. Tom's earlier career saw him working on some the UK's leading consumer magazine titles. He has a law degree from the London School of Economics (LSE).