Episode 8 - Cybersecurity and Privacy Officer Sarah Dixon-Morgan

·26 min·2 clips

Sarah Dixon-Morgan explains how she acted as the 'goalkeeper' for Medicaid data requests at the New York Department of Health.

This episode of the DECAL Download Podcast, hosted by Reg Griffin with Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs, interviews Sarah Dixon-Morgan, DECAL's Cybersecurity and Privacy Officer. Sarah joined DECAL in April after working as a privacy compliance analyst for the New York Department of Health's Security and Privacy Bureau. She describes her previous role as a 'goalkeeper' for Medicaid data requests, controlling access to sensitive information. Sarah explains that not all state agencies have dedicated privacy officers, noting privacy is a newer field compared to cybersecurity. She outlines her initial work at DECAL, including documenting data processes and enforcing mandatory training. The discussion covers DECAL's transition from physical servers to cloud storage, with Sarah noting cloud security advancements outweigh drawbacks. Sarah provides tangible cybersecurity tips for employees, such as using phrase-based passwords, locking computers, and avoiding personal device use for work data. She details DECAL's four-tier data classification system and demonstrates email encryption. Sarah highlights common threats like phishing emails and text scams, including fake PeachPass fine notifications. She emphasizes cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility, not just IT, because all staff handle data trusted by Georgia families. Sarah shares resources for staying updated, like following experts on LinkedIn and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The episode includes a segment where Commissioner Jacobs answers a listener question about fall activities, mentioning fire pits and football. It concludes with a quiz question about Sarah's previous workplace and promotional messages from DECAL.

As heard by us

Practical cybersecurity reminders from DECAL's new officer and the staff who need the refresher.

DECAL Download shifts into cybersecurity and privacy with Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs and Chief Communications Officer Reg Griffin introducing Sarah as the agency's new cybersecurity and privacy officer.

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Why you'd press play

For a quick reset on device separation, locked screens, and suspicious emails, press play.

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