Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed two bills into law that were priorities of the Technology Association of Iowa this legislative session. House File 553 aims to encourage companies to enhance their cybersecurity measures for safeguarding both their operations and customers against cyberattacks. The law offers an affirmative defense in tort litigation related to data breaches, provided that […]
Following a December 2022 acquisition, Ankeny-based cybersecurity firm Pratum has been transitioning its brand into Heartland Business Systems, a Wisconsin-based technology services provider with an Iowa office in Urbandale. Pratum has kept its name in the Iowa market but will move the brand entirely under HBS in the coming months, a spokesperson wrote in an email. […]
House, Senate committee changes help elevate technology topics The Technology Association of Iowa’s priority bills centered on cybersecurity issues are moving through the Iowa Legislature this year as the first deadline to have bills out of House and Senate committees approaches on March 3. The three bills TAI has proposed make the use of ransomware […]
Business leaders joined the Business Record’s 2023 Legislative Forecast event on Jan. 10 to provide a deeper look into the legislative priorities of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the Iowa Business Council and the Technology Association of Iowa this session. In addition to conversations about multiple workforce topics, […]
Three chief information security officers of Iowa companies spoke to cybersecurity professionals during Pratum’s Secure Iowa conference on Sept. 21 about the role of a CISO and their approaches to making information security decisions. Speakers included:Meg Anderson, CISO, Principal Financial Group.James Johnson, CISO, John Deere.Ben Schmitt, CISO, Mary Greeley Medical Center. Here are three takeaways from the panel’s […]
The Department of Management Office of the Chief Information Officer has announced expanded scalable security services for educational institutions and nonprofit organizations in Iowa. According to a news release, schools, school districts and nonprofits now have access to a lower cost of $8.24 per month, per device, which makes accessing the state’s cybersecurity services easier. […]
As part of a $12 million, six-project effort by the U.S. Department of Energy, Gelli Ravikumar, a research assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Iowa State University, is leading a research team to develop cybersecurity systems that prevent, detect and mitigate attacks on renewable energy sources sending power to the grid. Solar panels […]
House File 2461, which passed the Iowa House unanimously March 2, would make the development and deployment of ransomware illegal in Iowa except in cases of testing or research. The bill defines ransomware as “a computer or data contaminant, encryption or lock that is placed or introduced into a computer, computer network or computer system […]
The most recent Principal Financial Wellbeing Index found that more than 1 in 4 businesses surveyed experienced a cybersecurity attack in 2021 and among those attacks, more than half were successful. In about one-third of the attacks, ransomware was involved and hackers were able to access confidential data. The businesses’ systems were rendered unusable in […]
Iowa-based information-security company Pratum has announced it will be acquired by Infinite Group Inc., a cybersecurity company based in New York. Pratum will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary under IGI’s umbrella, joining its Cybersecurity and Cyber Lab divisions, according to a release. IGI will add Pratum’s SOC/XDR and consulting services to its range of […]