State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

More States Appoint ‘Chief Privacy Officers’ to Protect People’s Data

Stateline: In this age of hackers and cybercriminals, every state has a top security official focused on preventing breaches and protecting the vast amounts of data it collects. Now, a growing number also are hiring a top official to make sure that the privacy of residents’ personal data is protected as well.

Many large companies have employed 'chief privacy officers' for years, but they were rare in state government. A decade ago, there were only a few; today, at least eight states have them — Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, Washington and West Virginia, according to the National Association of State Chief Information Officers. Arkansas hired its first in June.

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