An all-time high of 11.6 million notices of data breaches were sent to citizens of Washington state from July 24, 2023, to July 23, 2024, beating the previous record of 6.5 million in 2021, according to an annual report from Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) Tuesday. Businesses reported 112 of the year’s 279 breaches in the state, with communications firms sending the most notices to consumers: 3.4 million. A mega breach of Comcast was responsible for 3.1 million of them. This is the first time that the number of individual notices of breaches has exceeded the state’s population and is the highest number of citizen breaches affected. “The more people know about data breaches, the more they can protect themselves,” Ferguson said in a news release. Retail had the most data breach incidents, at 20, sending 88,000 consumers notices. A cyberattack was the most common way data breaches occurred, with 217 instances, said the report. Ten were the result of either theft or a mistake, and 52 happened when an unauthorized person accessed secure data through something like an unsecured network or left sensitive documents out on a desk. Ransom was behind 113 of the cyberattacks; malware, 31; phishing, nine; skimming -- using a malicious card reader on a payment terminal, two. “These statistics further underscore our state’s critical need for comprehensive data privacy regulation,” Ferguson said in the report. “Data breaches are symptomatic of gaps in data privacy policies and the standards and practices of every entity that collects or controls this information.”

The West Virginia Public Service Commission extended until July 29 the due date for its administrative law judges to make a decision about the state E-911 Council's complaint against Frontier Communications (see 2401170009). The PSC said in an order Tuesday in docket 23-0921-T-C that staff sought additional time to investigate the issue.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission cleared Consolidated Communications to consolidate 135 rate centers into one in an effort to extend the life of the state’s 207 area code, the commission said Tuesday. It would be the largest consolidation of its kind in any state, the Maine PUC said. Commissioners voted 3-0 during a webcast meeting to approve the maneuver, whose aim is reducing demand for numbering resources and allowing telcos to use more existing resources (docket 2023-00009). Consolidated expects to complete the consolidation by the end of 2025, and it doesn’t “appear there will be significant technical hurdles or complications for other carriers,” said commission Chair Philip Bartlett. “With this, we think we can potentially extend the 207 area code well into the future, perhaps indefinitely.” Bartlett directed staff to provide regular updates about implementation. Commissioner Patrick Scully applauded the decision as “one of the biggest successes we’ve had so far in this long effort to preserve the 207 area code” and a “nation-leading effort” that other states could seek to replicate. The Maine PUC previously said that the planned rate center consolidation could be a model as the U.S. faces possible number exhaustion in the next 25 years (see 2309220060).

The Utah Public Service Commission in a Monday order opened a review of Frontier's sale of assets to Verizon. The PSC wants comments and oppositions to the deal by Dec. 20 (see 2410160049).

Industry groups generally welcomed the Nebraska Public Service Commission's proposal to further refine the Nebraska USF distribution, according to comments posted Tuesday (docket NUSF-139). Charter urged the commission "not to overlook any existing source of revenue or cash flows" that Nebraska eligible telecom carriers (NETC) "obtain from or for their networks in measuring those NETCs’ need for support" (see 2411060036). Windstream suggested that the commission continue relying on CostQuest's broadband mapping data for future updates to its cost modeling. The Rural Telecom Coalition of Nebraska backed the proposal but noted an error in the methodology. "The commission should disregard 2023 support amounts received or paid in 2024 because it creates a mismatching in the company's support base going forward," the group said. The Nebraska Rural Broadband Alliance suggested reducing support until providers serving customers with 25/3 Mbps speeds "complete the commitment to complete 100/20 deployment."

Google Fiber has extended into Idaho, starting in Pocatello, with plans for additional expansion, GF Manager-Government and Community Affairs West Region Alberto Garcia blogged Monday.

Pennsylvania is open for BEAD grant applications, the state Broadband Development Authority said Friday. The broadband office said it will accept applications through Jan. 21 for its $1.16 billion allocation from NTIA. Also, the state plans mounting a second application period in 2025, it said. The broadband office said it will take questions during a virtual office hour on Dec. 11. Pennsylvania is the 10th state to open for BEAD applications, the office said. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said his administration “is moving quickly to solicit applications and drive out this historic funding so we can extend access to high-speed, affordable internet all across our Commonwealth by the end of this decade.”

Several public interest groups urged greater scrutiny of Frontier's proposed sale to Verizon in comments to the California Public Utilities Commission (see 2410210012). In joint comments in docket 24-10-006 posted Friday, the Utility Reform Network, Center for Accessible Technology and Access Humboldt said, "The application does not contain sufficient information to determine even whether a review of the proposed transaction is justified." In addition, the CPUC Public Advocates Office warned that the proposed deal could "diminish service quality and reliability" and "impede the deployment and adoption of broadband services." The office encouraged that the commission study the impact of the deal on fiber deployment in the state, noting that it's unclear in the joint application whether Verizon will "continue Frontier's trajectory of building fiber in California." The California Emerging Technology Fund didn't oppose the deal, although it encouraged that the CPUC "consider impacts in the short term and long term of the transaction on broadband access service." The group also noted the application "lacks specificity" on Verizon's commitment to infrastructure investments in the near term and suggested a public benefit framework with buildout commitments.

Florida arrested and charged two men for alleged money laundering and grand theft involving mobile SIM card swapping, Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) said Monday. In an investigation, the AG’s cyber fraud enforcement unit found that Thomas Simmons solicited and paid a cellphone store employee, Raymond Ortiz, to swap a customer’s SIM card so that Simmons could access the phone remotely and steal $280,000 from the customer’s bank account while the victim was on a flight, the AG office said. Moody said, “the only thing these [SIM] swap criminals will be trading is their freedom for time behind bars.”

The District of Columbia wants to relieve an “overtaxed” 911 system with a public campaign urging residents that they use the number only for emergencies, the Office of Unified Communications said this week. Of 1.12 million 911 calls that OUC handled during fiscal year 2024, the office estimated that nearly one-fourth weren’t emergencies. “Our goal is to provide quick and accurate emergency response to all D.C. residents and visitors,” said OUC Director Heather McGaffin. “In order to achieve this goal, we need to reserve the emergency system for emergencies.” Washington’s 911 center has faced much criticism from the D.C. Council and others for reported errors, including getting addresses wrong and delaying answering calls and sending help (see 2410230034).