Data security

Hackers have finally done what bond issuers may have feared most from cyber criminals.

The first hard evidence of how this is affecting ratings in the public finance sector came from a downgrade two months ago involving Princeton Community Hospital in West Virginia.

Retired Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, an advisory board member of Academy Securities, talks with The Bond Buyer’s Chip Barnett about the current situation in the Middle East and what states and cities can do to safeguard their municipalities against the threat of cyber attacks.

In the wake of the recent U.S. attack on an Iranian general, U.S. financial institutions are preparing to defend against potential cyberattacks.

The new online security force follows ransomware attacks on at least four local governments and agencies in Ohio during 2019.

These were just a few of the topics discussed as common threads throughout the conference panels.

Oklahoma joins the ranks of state and local governments struck by hackers, fueling concerns about the escalating risk of such attacks on municipalities.

Rick Kolman and Rachel Washburn of Academy Securities talk with Chip Barnett about the firm's robust geopolitical intelligence capabilities. They discuss today's hot topics such as China-U.S. relations and Hong Kong, North Korea, Iran, Turkey and Venezuela. And they look at the importance that cybersecurity has for municipal bond issuers.

Texas officials say the attacks appear to be coming from a single source.

Data from so-called smart devices can trigger catastrophe for muni issuers if mishandled.