State a bigger threat to security of data
The Sun's editorial criticizing businesses for data security breaches overlooked several important facts ("Protecting private data," March 28).
One of these facts is that much of Maryland's business community has recognized the need to strengthen state laws regarding the handling of the private data of customers and therefore supported enactment of the Personal Information Protection Act of 2007.
The new law sets reasonable standards for maintaining data security, as well as notifying customers in the event of a data security breach.
However, the law left out one of the biggest sources of personal data security breaches - government.
Within the past year, The Sun has reported on a stolen laptop at the Baltimore County Health Department ("Computer containing personal data stolen," April 25, 2007), a lost miniature data drive at the Department of Natural Resources ("DNR names, SSN on lost data drive," May 4, 2007) and a stolen laptop at the Department of the Environment ("State laptop containing personal data is stolen," Aug. 31, 2007).
Businesses are already highly motivated to maintain their customers' personal data.
A data breach will cause a loss of goodwill and customers, a huge expense to investigate and remedy the breach and possible fines from the state attorney general's office.
Government, by contrast, faces no sanctions when it loses your private data.
And you can't take your government business elsewhere.
Rather than requiring more penalties for businesses, wouldn't it be a novel approach for state government to abide by the laws that it imposes on the private sector?
Kathy Snyder
Annapolis
The writer is president and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.
Democracy debased by elitist approach
Tim Hackler's column "Democracy isn't for everybody" (Commentary, March 31) raises a much more fundamental question than whether Alexander Hamilton's view of democracy was more right than Thomas Jefferson's view. What we should really be asking is whether America is a real democracy or not.
Vice President Dick Cheney seems to know the answer when he displays an arrogant contempt for the will of the people ("Poll positions," Commentary, April 1).
President Bush certainly knows the answer. That's why he has called himself "the decider."
