How to best respond to a data breach
Did you make a resolution to join a gym in 2019? That’s probably the generic go-to pledge. If you did, however, and if you ever bought equipment from Bodybuilding.com’s online store, your data might have been put at risk. We often see how an organization’s employees can be the weakest link in the security chain,… Read More
Breaches at Microsoft and the Federal Government
It has been a hectic week for cybersecurity. I can’t even begin by saying “the big news you might have heard about is,” because that could apply to at least two separate things. This past weekend, Microsoft disclosed a data breach of its Outlook, Hotmail and MSN systems. Although no passwords or email content were… Read More
Potential legislation for corporate data negligence?
Congress is sure going for the throat on this one. Though it is unlikely to pass, Sen. Elizabeth Warren has proposed legislation that would allow for jail time for executives in cases of corporate fraud and negligence. This Corporate Executive Accountability Act (CEAA) seeks to circumvent what its proponents perceive as a traditional lack of… Read More
Big Data, Collected and Shared
The recent announcement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—about accidentally revealing banking and other personal information on over 2 million people—is yet another example of insecure data sharing, and how different groups might respond differently to the risks of big data. Many survivors of the various major hurricanes and the California wildfires over the… Read More
Educating Students on Cybersecurity
Recently checking my old high school’s website, curious how much the curriculum had changed, I was impressed by the differences I found. Among other new additions, there were even several tech/computer courses that my class definitely was not offered. Of course, this is a much more recent trend, and other schools have followed suit. What… Read More
Cybercrime targeting your kids and your DNA
Part of this blog’s purpose is to keep people up to date with the latest threats from cyber criminals. Naturally, when we find mention of a trend neglected by the research community, I feel obligated to give it what small signal boost I can. In this case, it’s in the field of biotech, and new… Read More
How Do You Prioritize Security?
It’s no secret by now that cybersecurity often falls on a lower rung of priorities for companies. Developers of an application, for example, are most interested in facilitating the best, most convenient experience for customers as possible. Security can, in comparison, fall by the wayside. But in failing to sufficiently keep their data safe, can… Read More
Taking Customer Privacy Seriously
One interesting little statistic I noticed comes from Zack Whittaker. In the wake of a data breach, he discovered that there’s one common response companies will usually trot out for their customers or users. “We take your privacy and security seriously,” or some variation of the phrase. Out of 285 data breach notifications examined, he… Read More
Data Personalization and Consumer Trust
“Personalization” is a key concept among data-driven business strategies these days. Often touted as a benefit to consumers, you can find companies seeking to give personalized experiences in more industries than one. According to recent studies, however, consumers around the world may be adopting a stance of, “thanks, but no thanks,” on this position. In… Read More
GDPR Enforcement Continues
This past Monday was Data Privacy Day. To mark the occasion, you could find countless articles offering tips and strategies for minimizing the vulnerability of one’s personal data. I don’t want to focus too much on the fine details, since everyone else has done so (including us in the past), but the same steps as… Read More