On Wednesday, January 6, 2016, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed an executive order establishing a new state Office of Privacy and Data Protection.  The order was signed alongside Gov. Inslee’s announcement of a strategic partnership that will be formed between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Washington State Office of Cyber Security.  These two developments, which were revealed at the Governor’s Summit on Cyber Security and Privacy in Seattle, mark an innovative step in the way that both state and federal governments can strengthen digital privacy and security.

In addition to conducting annual reviews to assess the efficacy of state privacy processes and practices, the new state Office of Privacy and Data Protection will provide privacy training to state agencies and engage in consumer outreach programs to help educate Washington residents about digital security.  Meanwhile, the partnership with Homeland Security will focus on developing critical infrastructure defense strategies that can be adopted by state and local governments alike.  If successful, these new endeavors may provide a template for other states as they try to mitigate the inherent risks behind collecting and storing personally identifiable information.

Reporter, Brett Schlossberg, Silicon Valley, +1 650 422 6708, bschlossberg@kslaw.com.