Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren recently introduced legislation which would ban employers from conducting credit checks of prospective employees during the hiring process. Known as the Equal Employment for All Act, the measure would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit employers from using consumer credit reports to make employment decisions. Notably, the Act
California Considers Broader and Tougher Data Disclosure Requirements for Use of Customer Personal Information
In the face of increasing incidences of and rising public concern regarding identity theft, the California Legislature is considering a bill with new personal information data disclosure requirements for California businesses and a broad definition of what constitutes personal information.
California Assembly Bill 1291, would require businesses who have customer personal information and have
Lawful Access and Improper Use of Computer Data Does Not Violate the CFAA
The Fourth Circuit recently held that the Consumer Fraud and Abuse Act’s (“CFAA”) prohibitions against unauthorized access or access in excess of authorization were not violated by an employee when the employee used his valid access to employer’s computer network to download confidential business information that he later used while working for a competitor.
Prior
The Social Media Manager/Guru/Wizard/Ninja/Diva
Have you hired a social media manager? A social media guru/w
izard/ninja/diva? Each of these
job "titles" are increasingly being used by companies to attract individuals who specialize in marketing a company’s brand and/or services in social media. A recent article in the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times highlights just how prevalent these job titles
Keyloggers Beware–Companies Risk Being Sued By Employees
A U.S. District Court in Indiana has ruled that a company’s use of keylogger software to access an employee’s personal e-mail account may have violated the Stored Communications Act (“SCA”).
Keylogging or keystroke logging is the tracking of the keys struck on a keyboard, typically in a covert manner. 
In Rene v. G.F. Fishers, Inc.
Don’t Mess With Texas–Amended Law Imposes Breach Notification Obligations In All 50 States
In a novel approach to data breach notification requirements, Texas has amended its breach notification law (Business & Commerce Code, Section 521.053) to require notification to residents of not only Texas, but to residents of each of the 50 states. The amendment becomes effective September 1, 2012, and applies to “all persons who conduct business
Ban On Employer Demands For Worker, Applicant Website Passwords–Maryland
The Maryland Senate recently referred Senate Bill 971 which prohibits Maryland employers from demanding that workers and job applicants turn over their passwords to specific websites or web-based accounts. 
Under the bill, employers would be prohibited from refusing to hire applicants and disciplining, terminating, or taking other adverse employment action against employees who refuse to provide
The White House’s Cybersecuirty Legislative Proposal
Today the White House issued a Cybersecurity Legislative Proposal. The proposed legislation focuses on protecting the American people, the nation’s critical infrastructure, and the federal government’s computers and networks. While legislation of this nature would simplify the breach reporting process for businesses, and overall streamline cybersecurity laws, a number of legislative attempts to do this have previously
California and Massachusetts Legislatures Push Data Breach and Security Bills
In distinct efforts to strengthen data security requirements, the California and Massachusetts legislatures recently passed bills affecting data breach notification requirements and data security notification, respectively.
On April 14, 2011, the California senate approved S.B. 24, requiring California businesses and agencies to notify the state attorney general if more than 500 California residents
The Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act
Two Senators who clearly did not let the potential government work stoppage affect them, formally introduced the Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011 on April 12. In a bipartisan effort, Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Arizona) introduced the legislation which sets forth privacy rules governing businesses that collect, use, or share