A report issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) concludes that the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) did not meet all of its federal requirements for oversight and enforcement of the HIPAA Security Rule. While the report noted OCR met some of these requirements, it also found that:
A Different Kind of Palm Reader…Biometrics Going Mainstream?
Fingerprints, voice prints and vein patterns in a person’s palm are three examples of biometrics that may be “moving into the consumer mainstream to unlock laptops and smartphones, or as a supplement to passwords at banks, hospitals and libraries,” reports Anne Eisenberg at the New York Times. Of course, these technologies, aimed at increasing
Dealing with Personal Information at the Water’s Edge…
Privacy and data security issues and concerns do not stop at the water’s edge. Companies needing to share personal information, even when the sharing will take place inside the same “company,” frequently run into challenges when that sharing takes place across national borders. In some ways, the obstacles created by the matrix of federal and
Another Small Healthcare Provider Settles Potential HIPAA Violations Following Data Breach, Office For Civil Rights Announces
A familiar story – small health care provider suffers a data breach affecting patient data, reports incident to the federal Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and winds up becoming subject to an OCR investigation that goes well beyond the breach itself, resulting in a significant settlement payment and corrective action plan.
In this case,
Fordham Law School Study of Public Schools Finds Widespread Use of Cloud Services, Student Data at Risk
On December 13, 2013, Fordham Law School’s Center on Law and Information Policy published a study (Study) that paints a sobering picture of how many public schools across the country handle student data, particularly with respect to data they store and services they (and students) use in the “cloud.” There is little doubt that many
Can We Prohibit Employees From Making Video/Audio Recordings at Work?
Check out our labor colleagues’ recent post (see Labor & Collective Bargaining blog) concerning the permissibility of a policy to prohibit audio/video recording in the workplace under the National Labor Relations Act, and the decision in Whole Foods Market, Inc., Case No. 1-CA-96965 (10/30/13).
Most of us do not go too far –
Video Interview: Discussing Google Glass in the Workplace with LXBN TV
Following up on my recent post on Google Glass and its impact on the workplace, I had the opportunity to speak with Colin O’Keefe of LXBN on the subject. In the brief video interview I explain the general workplace issues it presents and also touch on the potential data management concerns.
Google Glass in the Workplace
WSJ reported on November 22, 2013, Google’s push to move Google Glass, a computerized device with an “optical head-mounted display,” into the mainstream by tapping the prescription eyewear market through VSP Global—a nationwide vision benefits provider and maker of frames and lenses. If the speed and immersion of technology over the past few years
Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Rain – A Forecast for Problems in the Cloud
If your cloud service provider sounds like your local weather reporter – partly cloudy with a chance of rain – you may be in for a data security storm. A USA Today guest essay by Rajiv Gupta highlights the need for a multi-layered approach for cloud providers to ensure data stored in the cloud is
Healthcare.gov Not Secure, According to IT Security Experts
According to testimony before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and warnings from IT security experts, individuals using the federal government’s website to obtain health coverage through the Exchange are likely putting the security of their sensitive personal information at significant risk. Reports about the cost of the federal website vary,