Category: Uncategorized

Staying Ahead of New Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities

“While there is no silver-bullet solution to cybersecurity risks, I believe promoting public-private partnerships on risk management, foundational research, and a robust cyber workforce are essential to combating these challenges.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today led a hearing entitled “The Promises and Perils of Emerging Technologies for Cybersecurity.” The hearing explored the impact of emerging technologies – including artificial intelligence, the internet of things, blockchain, and quantum computing – on the future of cybersecurity.

“Our nation faces an array of evolving cyber threats to our personal data, access to online services, and critical infrastructure,” said Thune “To be clear, cybersecurity is not solely a technology issue. Also, while there is no silver-bullet solution to cybersecurity risks, I believe promoting public-private partnerships on risk management, foundational research, and a robust cyber workforce are essential to combating these challenges. That is why I am excited to continue our committee’s discussion on cybersecurity by looking toward the future.”  

Thune noted that he would send letters to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao urging them to prioritize the cybersecurity of federal systems. He is also working with a bipartisan group of senators on potential legislation to ensure that small businesses fully benefit from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework. 

In 2014, Thune co-sponsored the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, which included important provisions for cybersecurity research, workforce development, and standards. The bill authorized, among other things, the National Science Foundation’s successful CyberCorps Scholarship Program, in which Dakota State University is an active participant.

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It seems that it’s getting hard to keep up with the players with three new candidates being thrown into the mix this week, and a couple of AG Candidates confirming speculation.

Who’s new? Dr. Terry LaFleur for Governor (who will probably not make the ballot, but more power to him), Josh Haeder for Treasurer, and a new candidate for Treasurer that multiple sources are telling me he’s in the hunt.

(Man, those Lincoln Day Dinners are looking longer and longer all the time!)

Rounds Introduces Bill to Strengthen Congressional Insight  and Accountability on Federal Regulations 

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced legislation to strengthen congressional insight and accountability within the regulatory process. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Insight, Reform and Accountability Act of 2017 would give OIRA statutory authority to conduct reviews of regulations by codifying into law executive orders establishing such authority, authority that cannot be rescinded or limited by future presidencies. Additionally, it would expand the role of OIRA in the regulatory process and authorize OIRA to review rules proposed by certain independent federal agencies. 

“Overregulation is a hidden tax that is stifling economic growth and productivity in America,” said Rounds. “Even more concerning, the regulations coming out of Washington are being promulgated by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats, rather than our elected representatives. The OIRA Insight, Reform and Accountability Act would bring to light more rules being promulgated by independent agencies and give a stronger voice to state, local and tribal governments in challenging the rules before they are finalized.

. We believe these measures will increase transparency and help protect South Dakota families from duplicative, unnecessary and overly-burdensome federal regulations.” 

The OIRA Insight, Reform and Accountability Act was introduced by Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.) earlier this year and passed the House on March 1, 2017. 

Other provisions of The OIRA Insight, Reform and Accountability Act:

• Extends the requirement for regulatory review to independent agencies.
• Requires that OIRA issue reports on its reviews of legal requirements.
• Requires OIRA to gather input from state, local and tribal governments and the public on the effects of regulations and opportunities for improving the process.
• Requires OIRA to convene a working group, consisting of the OIRA Administrator, agency representatives and other officials designated by the Administrator, to serve as a forum to identify and analyze regulatory issues.
• Requires the administrator provide agency-wide advice and guidance on best practices to develop regulations.
• Requires OIRA to publish a Unified Agenda twice a year detailing all regulatory actions under development or review. OIRA must also issue guidance to create clear definitions of status and any other term as appropriate.
• Requires that agencies annually submit to OIRA the significant regulatory actions planned for the following fiscal year. The plans will also list regulations identified as unnecessary, duplicative or burdensome and describe the agency’s efforts to review existing regulations—all of which will be subject to OIRA review.
• Requires OIRA make publicly available all information provided by the agency, the result of OIRA’s review, and a red-line of changes made during the review.

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Over the past few months, you may have noticed that the SDWC has been taking on some new advertisers. And I’m very proud to say that we will have some more coming our way. 2018 is going to be a big, big year, and we’re ready to handle it.

As all these ads are being placed, I’ve been making a point to invest back into the website, as well as to improve my capabilities. This past week I just boosted the active Ram/Memory for the site to better handle times of peak traffic, and I’ve noticed that the site is not dropping as it had from time to time with memory errors.

In addition to spending more on a monthly basis on web infrastructure, I’ve also been upgrading my equipment.

My video (when I get the chance to shoot some) should be great in terms of quality. And I’ve been working to improve my photography capabilities as well.

My daughter Sydney, currently Secretary of the State TAR organization, was one of the guinea pigs I picked on tonight to test out my camera lights and the backdrop I ordered. And as you can see, it turned out nicely. I’m extremely pleased with the results… now I just need to keep testing and experimenting. Practice makes perfect!

If I can find the time to write and produce it, I keep coming back to the idea of a 20 -30 minute weekly video program on politics. If I can find a way to shoot it, edit & produce it, that’s on my wish list – but I wouldn’t want to take away from everything else just to do it. That’s a “we’ll see” item.

So, make sure you keep us bookmarked, and check daily on all the fast moving action in South Dakota State politics. We’ve only just begun!

Sioux Falls’ Democrat Mayor Mike Huether continues to tease about his future statewide plans, but the word I’m getting from one source in Sioux Falls is that his eyes are firmly affixed on the race for Governor.

My source mentioned that the Mayor apparently made a couple of Freudian slips at a meeting last week, when he kept saying “Governor” when he intended to say “Government,” which was more humorous than anything. But what they’re hearing that has them far more suspicious is that allegedly Huether is trying to lock in big money Republicans in Sioux Falls to become part of “Team Huether” before he’ll give any firmer indication that his plans are to run for Governor.

Huether’s biggest problem is that being an Independent in the race is just as bad as being a Democrat. And that dog won’t just hunt in South Dakota, especially as you move towards the Missouri River.

From the Rapid City Journal, apparently a VA Department whistleblower is calling out the VA and claiming that the VA call center being proposed was just a ruse to ease the sting of shutting down the facility:

The Atlanta, Ga., man, who works as a spokesman for the VA Health Eligibility Center, has testified before Congress about previous alleged misdeeds within the department.

On March 10, Davis dropped a new allegation against the VA regarding the proposed Hot Springs Member Services Call Center, with his boss, VA Secretary David J. Shulkin.

Davis contends that the call center and promises of 120 new jobs is more ruse than reality. He said it was the VA’s way of creating a good news story about what was happening to the Hot Springs VA hospital, and was a way to ease the pain of losing some 300 hospital jobs that will be shifted to Rapid City or elsewhere due to the department’s planned reconfiguration of the Black Hills Health Care System.

In a letter to Shulkin dated March 10, Davis explains how the Hot Springs Call Center was supposed to help the Atlanta Health Eligibility Center provide service to veterans seeking VA health care. The Health Eligibility Center helps veterans find care and enroll in VA programs.

He tells Shulkin in the letter that no computer equipment was ordered through the VA’s Office of Information and Technology for employees in Hot Springs to use prior to being hired. Call center staff members claim this is an ongoing problem, Davis says, and he wonders how people can do their jobs without computers.

Read the entire story here at the Rapid City Journal

There are not a lot of call center jobs that don’t require computers, so this gentleman may be on to something. This might be a good one for our Delegation to take up with the Department.

Mike Huether confederate Jim Entenman announced this morning that he’s running for Sioux Falls Mayor, which gave me a thought of doing a chart for some of the other cities in South Dakota as well.

So, here’s the tape of the tape for the mayoral races in South Dakota via media reports, and people I’ve spoken with. Obviously, we’re missing Rapid City, and I suspect there are others mulling over the 2018 Mayoral Race in Sioux Falls. Fill in any blanks via the comment section if you’re so inclined:

Thoughts?

Lt. Governor Matt Michels has often been mentioned in that rarified air of people who could conceivably run for governor and be a legitimate contender.

Prior to the legislative session, Michels teased us with a notation that he would be making a decision after session as to the status of whether he intended to run or not.

And, from a note I had from the Lt. Governor, he’s being really literal with that after session thing. Meaning, after the conclusion of the session after veto day, not after the main run of the session. When asked, Michels noted to me that “Yes I/we have made up our minds and will let all know later next week.”

So, a decision is coming quickly as to whether we’re going to have another entrant into the race for the highest state office.  Maybe not soon enough for me, but quickly!

Stay tuned!

This morning over at KELO AM, Todd Epp, Greg Belfrage show producer has a story on legislative success statistics, as prompted by a chart provided to him by State Senator Stace Nelson. Nelson, of course, has always exhibited a tendency towards self-aggrandizement. Not unexpected in a politician, but even in this instance, there comes a point where it’s a bit much:

The main run of the South Dakota Legislature recently ended and now we’re starting to see some report cards about their performance.

One survey (see bottom of page) that state Sen. Stace Nelson (R-Fulton) shared with KELO News takes the approach of “How many of your bills or resolutions passed?” or is it “How many bills and resolutions did you introduce?” or is it the opposite, “How many bills or resolutions did you not introduce?”

For example, the aforementioned Sen. Nelson introduced 38 total bills or resolutions, three passed one chamber, five measures passed both chambers, two concurrent resolutions passed, and 13 commemorations passed. So, 20 of 38 bills or resolutions Nelson was main sponsor on passed for a 53% pass rate. On the other hand, 15 of these were commemorations, which seldom face opposition.

In the same chamber, Senate Majority Leader Blake Curd (R-Sioux Falls) “only” sponsored seven bills, six of which passed both chambers and one was a concurrent resolution. That gave him a perfect 100 percent batting average.

Read it here.

Mark Twain once quipped “Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: ‘There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.'”  

In the instance of Senator Nelson’s “chart of awesomeness”  where he counted a Kloucekian number of resolutions for himself as a sign of legislative excellence, shockingly, the sheer numbers of resolutions managed to skew his rating.

The problem with the figures being used in the chart presented to Epp is that unless a resolution is controversial or offensive to some, it is passed with little or no opposition, as it’s viewed as a legislative thanks for service, or an “attaboy” for recognizable accomplishment.

Removing those numbers, we’re left to look at the actual legislation a member brought. Some people count bills introduced as those where you’re the prime sponsor in your own chamber, as well as legislation from the opposite chamber, where a person is in all actuality carrying another member’s bill.  And again, in that latter case, you’re really not doing more than standing on someone else’s shoulders, as the idea for – the genesis of the bill, if you will – was someone else’s.

In that case, if we’re legitimately to calculate a legislator’s worth based on what they do in Pierre, those numbers should be stripped from one’s own “rating of legislative awesomeness.”

So, for Senator Nelson, that takes the hyper-inflated success ratio he calculated for himself from a whopping 53% pass rate… down to reality, where only 1 of his 7 bills he authored and was the prime sponsor for met with the approval of his colleagues and the Governor.

One bill. So, we would say that in 2017, Senator Stace Nelson officially and undisputedly has a 14.3% success rate. If we’re rounding up.  Quite the difference from his self proclaimed 53% success rate.

Which kind of begs the question of why the Senator felt the need to put together his utterly manufactured “chart of awesomeness” in the first place, much less why he’s parading it around to the press. Even Todd Epp at KELO made a point to talk about how it doesn’t tell the entire story.

In fact, sometimes the best legislators make a point to keep legislation from passing.  (You know, the whole “the Government which governs the best, governs least” thing.) If scads of legislation are being brought simply to bolster legislative egos and feelings of self-worth, that’s a bad, bad thing.  And it should certainly bring into question when legislators parade the buffoonery of self-made charts about how awesome they are where they’ve intentionally skewed the numbers to maximize the appearance of their efforts whether real or contrived.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Senator Nelson’s statistics.  All things that should be avoided if we’re going to accurately formulate how effective our legislators truly are.