Data Security and Privacy in the Digital Era: Challenges for Modern Government
Abstract
In the digital age, data security and privacy are paramount for modern governments, which are facing increasing cyber threats that impact operations and public trust. This research aims to explore the challenges and strategies in managing data security and privacy, focusing on three key areas: the impact of cyberattacks on governmental operations and public trust, the effectiveness of current data protection regulations and cybersecurity measures, and balancing transparency with data security in open data initiatives. Using qualitative research methods and secondary data analysis, the study examines recent high-profile incidents, such as the SolarWinds hack, and evaluates regulatory frameworks such as the GDPR. The findings highlight that cyberattacks disrupt government functions and undermine public trust, while compliance and enforcement challenges undermine the efficacy of data protection measures. Furthermore, successful strategies for balancing transparency and data security include robust anonymization techniques and stringent access controls. The study concludes that continuous evaluation and adaptation of data security policies are essential for mitigating risks and restoring public confidence.
Keywords: cyberattacks; data security; open data initiatives; public trust
References
Albrecht, M. R., Player, R., & Scott, S. (2015). On the concrete hardness of learning with errors. Journal of Mathematical Cryptology, 9(3), 169–203.
Anderson, J., & Rainie, L. (2014). The Future of Privacy. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org
Azzi, A. (2018). The challenges faced by the extraterritorial scope of the General Data Protection Regulation. J. Intell. Prop. Info. Tech. & Elec. Com. L., 9, 126.
Bandari, V. (2023). Enterprise data security measures: a comparative review of effectiveness and risks across different industries and organization types. International Journal of Business Intelligence and Big Data Analytics, 6(1), 1–11.
Borgman, C. L. (2018). Open data, grey data, and stewardship: Universities at the privacy frontier. Berkeley Technology Law Journal, 33(2), 365–412.
Bradshaw, S. (2015). Combating cyber threats: CSIRTs and fostering international cooperation on cybersecurity. Global Commission on Internet Governance Paper Series, Paper, 23.
Brezzi, M., González, S., Nguyen, D., & Prats, M. (2021). An updated OECD framework on drivers of trust in public institutions to meet current and future challenges.
Brown, C. S. D. (2015). Investigating and prosecuting cyber crime: Forensic dependencies and barriers to justice. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 9(1), 55.
Buczak, A. L., & Guven, E. (2015). A survey of data mining and machine learning methods for cyber security intrusion detection. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 18(2), 1153–1176.
Carlin, J. P. (2015). Detect, disrupt, deter: A whole-of-government approach to national security cyber threats. Harv. Nat’l Sec. J., 7, 391.
Carrapico, H., & Farrand, B. (2021). When trust fades, Facebook is no longer a friend: shifting privatisation dynamics in the context of cybersecurity as a result of disinformation, populism and political uncertainty. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 59(5), 1160–1176.
Cascavilla, G., Tamburri, D. A., & Van Den Heuvel, W.-J. (2021). Cybercrime threat intelligence: A systematic multi-vocal literature review. Computers & Security, 105, 102258.
Casino, F., Dasaklis, T. K., & Patsakis, C. (2019). A systematic literature review of blockchain-based applications: Current status, classification and open issues. Telematics and Informatics, 36, 55–81.
Chigada, J., & Madzinga, R. (2021). Cyberattacks and threats during COVID-19: A systematic literature review. South African Journal of Information Management, 23(1), 1–11.
Clohessy, T., Acton, T., & Morgan, L. (2019). The impact of blockchain technology on the audit process: Cryptography plays a crucial role in increasing security. International Journal of Digital Accounting Research, 19, 1–22.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
Dalla Corte, L. (2020). Safeguarding data protection in an open data world: On the idea of balancing open data and data protection in the development of the smart city environment.
Davies, T. (2010). Open data, democracy and public sector reform. A Look at Open Government Data Use from Data. Gov. Uk, 1–47.
Dymora, P., & Mazurek, M. (2021). Personal Data as a Critical Element of Sustainable Systems—Comparison of Selected Data Anonymization Techniques. In Sustainable Intelligent Systems (pp. 51–64). Springer.
EDPB. (2020). Guidelines on the concepts of controller and processor in the GDPR. European Data Protection Board. https://edpb.europa.eu
Fernandes, D. A. B., Soares, L. F. B., Gomes, J. V, Freire, M. M., & Inácio, P. R. M. (2014). A quick perspective on the current state in cybersecurity. In Emerging trends in ICT security (pp. 423–442). Elsevier.
GDPR, G. D. P. R. (2016). General data protection regulation. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the Protection of Natural Persons with Regard to the Processing of Personal Data and on the Free Movement of Such Data, and Repealing Directive 95/46/EC.
Georgiadis, G., & Poels, G. (2021). Enterprise architecture management as a solution for addressing general data protection regulation requirements in a big data context: a systematic mapping study. Information Systems and E-Business Management, 19, 313–362.
Goddard, M. (2017). The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): European regulation that has a global impact. International Journal of Market Research, 59(6), 703–705.
Goodin, D. (2021). The SolarWinds hack: All roads lead to Russia, and it might take years to clean up. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com
Ismagilova, E., Hughes, L., Rana, N. P., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2022). Security, privacy and risks within smart cities: Literature review and development of a smart city interaction framework. Information Systems Frontiers, 1–22.
Janssen, M., Charalabidis, Y., & Zuiderwijk, A. (2012). Benefits, adoption barriers and myths of open data and open government. Information Systems Management, 29(4), 258–268.
Kosseff, J. (2018). Developing collaborative and cohesive cybersecurity legal principles. 2018 10th International Conference on Cyber Conflict (CyCon), 283–298.
Kravchenko, O., Veklych, V., Krykhivskyi, M., & Madryha, T. (2024). Cybersecurity in the face of information warfare and cyberattacks. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 6.
Kshetri, N. (2021). Blockchain technology for improving transparency and citizen’s trust. Advances in Information and Communication: Proceedings of the 2021 Future of Information and Communication Conference (FICC), Volume 1, 716–735.
Libicki, M. C. (2017). The Public and Cybersecurity. RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org
Lindsay, J. R. (2014). The impact of China on cybersecurity: Fiction and friction. International Security, 39(3), 7–47.
McDermott, P. (2010). Building open government. Government Information Quarterly, 27(4), 401–413.
Milakovich, M. E. (2021). Digital governance: Applying advanced technologies to improve public service. Routledge.
Naseer, I. (2020). Cyber Defense for Data Protection and Enhancing Cyber Security Networks for Military and Government Organizations. MZ Computing Journal, 1(1).
Okoli, U. I., Obi, O. C., Adewusi, A. O., & Abrahams, T. O. (2024). Machine learning in cybersecurity: A review of threat detection and defense mechanisms. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 21(1), 2286–2295.
Pandey, S., Singh, R. K., Gunasekaran, A., & Kaushik, A. (2020). Cyber security risks in globalized supply chains: conceptual framework. Journal of Global Operations and Strategic Sourcing, 13(1), 103–128.
Rid, T., & Buchanan, B. (2015). Attributing cyber attacks. Journal of Strategic Studies, 38(1–2), 4–37.
Roman, R., Zhou, J., & Lopez, J. (2013). On the features and challenges of security and privacy in distributed internet of things. Computer Networks, 57(10), 2266–2279.
Ross, R., McEvilley, M., & Oren, J. (2016). Systems security engineering: Considerations for a multidisciplinary approach in the engineering of trustworthy secure systems. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Sarjito, A. (2024). Bridging the Gap: The Nexus between Public Administration and the Defense Sector. JUSS (Jurnal Sosial Soedirman), 7(1), 75–100.
Shadbolt, N., O’Hara, K., Berners-Lee, T., Gibbins, N., Glaser, H., & Hall, W. (2012). Linked open government data: Lessons from data. gov. uk. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 27(3), 16–24.
Sharma, S. (2019). Data privacy and GDPR handbook. John Wiley & Sons.
Tikkinen-Piri, C., Rohunen, A., & Markkula, J. (2018). EU General Data Protection Regulation: Changes and implications for personal data collecting companies. Computer Law & Security Review, 34(1), 134–153.
Weber, J., & Wasieleski, D. M. (2013). Corporate ethics and compliance programs: A report, analysis and critique. Journal of Business Ethics, 112, 609–626.
Zuiderwijk, A., Janssen, M., & Davis, C. (2014). Innovation with open data: Essential elements of open data ecosystems. Information Polity, 19(1–2), 17–33.
Copyright (c) 2024 Aris Sarjito
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
JIAN is licensed under a under a Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) License