The Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at the Georgetown University Law Center has sent a signed letter to the Secretary of Commerce and the Acting Directer of the U.S. Census Bureau requesting assurances that the upcoming decennial census will be accurate and secure given heightened threats in the cyber-security environment. The letter, co-signed by Former General Counsel, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, former Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Department of Justice, and the President and CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance, and other former government security officials, requests in part:
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“Despite repeated requests from Congress and from the public for a better understanding of the Census Bureau’s preparations for the first electronic census, the Bureau has not provided basic information such as whether two-factor authentication will be required for all access to the data obtained, whether relevant information will always be encrypted while in transit and also while at rest (and what specific encryption methods will be used), and whether other now-standard cybersecurity practices will be utilized. While the Bureau has released a considerable array of materials regarding the 2020 Census and even aspects of its electronic component, to the best of our knowledge none specifies how the Bureau is implementing even the most basic cybersecurity practices.“
