PRITS, Ombudsman partner to share data in case of cyber incidents
The Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Services (PRITS) and the Office of the Ombudsman signed an agreement that facilitates data sharing in the event of a cyber incident.
The agreement will allow that, if an agency of the Executive Branch reports a potential data breach, the Office of the Ombudsman will receive that information to provide advice on the notification that the agencies must make after the possible data leak.
“At PRITS we’ve developed several initiatives aimed at preventing cyber incidents,” said Nannette Martínez, PRITS interim director.
“This new effort will allow the Office of the Ombudsman to immediately receive an alert about a possible event that violates cybersecurity and involves the leaking of citizen information,” she said.
According to the Guide for Reporting Cybersecurity Incidents, developed by PRITS, Executive Branch agencies, corporations and instrumentalities have a standardized method for reporting a cybersecurity event.
“Thanks to this agreement, if any agency of the Executive Branch alerts about a cybersecurity incident, the Office of the Ombudsman will receive an email with the details of a possible leak of information and then we will oversee providing advice on the notification of the incident,” said Edwin García-Feliciano, head of the Ombudsman’s office.
“This is an effort in which an agency of the Executive and the Ombudstman will work together to protect sensitive data, which citizens entrust to a state agency,” he said.
The Guide allows the government’s chief Information Technology Officers to notify and document all cybersecurity events that have resulted in an incident that represents a violation of security laws, procedures, and policies, or has threatened or compromised government information or information systems.
The report will be essential to collect relevant information for further analysis based on the historical data provided, the activities being carried out, the parties involved, and future action plans, the government officials said.