New FTC Breach Notification Rule
The nature and nuances of data breach regulations are ever evolving. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved a new amendment that requires non-banking financial firms to report certain breaches to the FTC itself. This is an amendment to the agency’s existing Safeguards Rule, which is a standard string of measures meant to protect… Read More
Compromised voter data
It’s hard to imagine more sensitive personal data than voter information. Not only does it have the same potential for identity theft as other types, it can of course impact elections. Back in March, hackers stole data from Washington D.C.’s health insurance platform – DC Health Link – including information from several Congress members. Following… Read More
Genetic data in the hands of cyber criminals
Following on the announcement of the 23andMe data breach, it’s important to explore just what makes this incident so serious. Consider how much we emphasize the value of one’s personal data. Cyber criminals go after organizations across all industries to crack open databases and get at the juicy information within. It doesn’t get much more… Read More
Sony breaches and how to keep your data safe
Between charging a full $60 for a cosmetic console cover, to revealing not one but two recent data breaches that compromised customer information, Sony hasn’t had the most flattering week. An ongoing Sony investigation into claims that a ransomware group called RansomedVC had accessed the company systems and planned to sell stolen data, resulted in… Read More
You have rights about where and how your data is shared
Before we tell you “the bad and the ugly” we’re going to tell you the “good”. First, YOU HAVE RIGHTS. Data protection and privacy rights exist for a reason and it’s on you to take control of where and how your data is being stored, shared and protected. Now fasten your seat belts because we’re… Read More
Phishing and medical device exploits
Social engineering is a cyber threat we could discuss week after week…so that’s exactly what I’m going to do this time. More phishing campaigns have made headlines thanks to a breach of the AP Stylebook, which is used by news and other organizations as a guide to on such relevant topics as grammar, writing style… Read More
Dishing and Smishing
If you receive a text from a sender who appears to be USPS, the Royal Mail, or a number of other organizations, you may be the target of a new smishing campaign from Chinese hackers. Known as the Smishing Triad, these bad actors have been attempting to exploit US residents via compromised iCloud accounts for… Read More
Tesla and Duolingo have data problems
Tesla is the big data security story these past couple of weeks. In the wake of Twitter’s recent rebranding to “X,” now another Elon Musk firm is in the news for an entirely different reason. Two former Tesla employees are accused of sharing the personal information of over 75,000 people to German newspaper Handelsblatt. Despite… Read More
Regulating Data Collectors
Companies and other agencies gathering people’s data creates vulnerabilities that hackers are all too eager to exploit. Whether it’s for targeted advertising or selling to third parties, data has become a most valuable commodity. You can’t go a day without hearing about a data breach in the news, be it aimed at a school, business… Read More
A new standard for data protection?
For years, business communities and US legislators have been calling for an all-encompassing data privacy law at the federal level. Despite the introduction of several proposed bills, none have been enacted. In lieu of such a standard has instead arisen a patchwork of various state regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or… Read More