Colonial Pipeline hack sparks broader security issues closer to home

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The computer hack of the Colonial Pipeline last month had most of people watching their pocketbooks as gas prices spiked.

But for everything from energy companies to local governments, the hack raised a number of serious questions.

State lawmakers on the Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Energy got an update on security measures from the state’s three largest electric providers Thursday. But they also talked about issues closer to home, from county clerks watching computer security for elections to companies like Amazon and TikTok using electronic devices to increasingly record and resell personal information.

“There’s a lot of issues here and who should be sharing that information. So Kentucky needs to take this very seriously in letting these particular groups know that ‘not in Kentucky.’ So there’s a lot of challenges for all of us. When you move it over to utilities, securities and other aspects of what we do it becomes more dangerous at a level we’ve never seen before,” said Committee Co-chair Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard.

The committee noted California’s model for consumer privacy might be worth considering as one form of safeguards.

Consumers have until June 8 to opt out of some recording provisions on Amazon and TikTox devices.