When many people think about identity theft and data breaches, they tend to think about credit card data and bank accounts. This makes sense given the large-scale breaches in the news lately. However, Reuters reported last week that medical information is “worth 10 times more than [] credit card number[s] on the black market” a
IRS Issues Fraud Alert to Financial Institutions Complying with FATCA
The Internal Revenue Service issued a fraud alert for international financial institutions complying with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). According to the report, scam artists posing as the IRS – through attacks known as “phishing attacks” – have fraudulently solicited financial institutions seeking account holder identity and financial account information. Financial institutions
HIPAA Privacy Rule Also Affected By Supreme Court’s DOMA Decision in U.S. v. Windsor
When the U.S. Supreme Court decided United States v. Windsor, it declared section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to be unconstitutional. For many companies, the decision meant changes to certain of their employee benefit plans, as well as the tax treatment of employee contributions for same sex spouses. However, declaring section
Big Data in the Workplace, EEOC Attorney Urges Caution
You may have been reading about how “Big Data” technologies are being used for a variety of purposes, such as making purchase suggestions based on prior buying patterns or staging law enforcement resources based on predictions for where and when crimes are likely to occur. But these technologies also are being used in
HIPAA Reminders – Business Associate Agreement Deadline and Continuation of OCR Audits
I recently had the pleasure of speaking to a great group at the Connecticut Assisted Living Association (CALA) about HIPAA and a range of related practical issues. Many covered entities and business associates, particularly those that are small businesses, continue to work on understanding the privacy and security standards, and how to best apply them
Companies Need to be Better Prepared to Respond to Problematic Social Media Activity, Including Facebook “Likes”
The National Labor Relations Board has found that another employer (a non-union employer) violated its employees’ protected concerted activity rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) when it disciplined and fired them for certain social media activity. Our Labor Group provides an extensive analysis of this decision in Triple Play Sports Bar and Grille
New Hampshire Joins the Growing Number of States Limiting Employer Access to Employee Online Accounts
Effective September 30, 2014, New Hampshire joins sixteen other states (Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin) in prohibiting employers from requiring employees or job applicants to disclose their login information for accessing any “personal account” or service through an electronic communication device.
Report Says Russian Hackers Stole 1.2 Billion Usernames and Passwords, But Don’t Let “Breach Fatigue” Take Hold
In what is believed to be the largest security breach to date, the Associated Press reported that Russian hackers have stolen 1.2 billion user names and passwords. According to the AP, Milwaukee security firm, Hold Security, learned of the breach, but has yet to provide details about the series of website hackings believed to have
Yes, a Person Can be Criminally Prosecuted for Violating HIPAA
As reported by HealthcareInfoSecurity.com, a former hospital employee is facing criminal charges brought by federal prosecutors in Texas for alleged violations of the privacy and security requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). You may remember that back on June 1, 2005, the Department of Justice issued an opinion supporting the
FTC Amends Guidance to Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Rules, Clarifying “Verifiable Parental Consent” Requirements
In response to reported on-going confusion regarding how to satisfy the “verifiable parental consent” requirements in Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) 15 U.S.C. §6501 et. seq. (1998), and its implementing regulations, 12 CFR Part 312 (2000), the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) revised its guidance on enforcement of the same. According to the