Tax season soon will soon be upon us and many not-so-eager taxpayers will share sensitive personal information about themselves, their dependents, their employees, and others with their trusted professional tax preparers for processing. What many of these preparers might not realize is that federal law and a growing number of state laws obligate them to
The Data Care Act of 2018
A new bill in the Senate proposes to hold large tech companies, specifically “online service providers”, responsible for the protection of personal information in the same way banks, lawyers and hospitals are held responsible. The Data Care Act of 2018, which was introduced on December 12, 2018, is designed to protect users information online
Vague FTC Order Addressing Data Security Struck Down by Federal Appellate Court
In a significant ruling that calls into question the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) authority to regulate a private company’s data security program, a federal appellate court of appeals ruled that the agency’s cease and desist order directing implementation of a data security program should be vacated as unenforceable. LabMD, Inc. v. Federal Trade Commission,
The FTC Announces a National Cybersecurity Education Campaign for Small Businesses
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced that it will launch a national education campaign to aid the small business sector in strengthening its cybersecurity and protecting its sensitive and personal data.
The national education campaign builds on the FTC’s 2017 Small Business Initiative which included the creation of a new website: FTC.gov/SmallBusiness aimed at
New FTC Report Makes Security Recommendations to the Mobile Device Industry
Securing data held by mobile devices is largely reliant upon technology, and a recent report by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) takes aim at how that technology can be both improved and better utilized. The report, published in February 2018 and titled, Mobile Security Updates: Understanding the Issues, presents findings based upon information requested
USCIS: Watch Out For I-9 Email Scams
As reported on our Global Immigration Blog, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a notice regarding scam email requests for I-9 information. 
According to USCIS, employers have received scam emails that appear to come from USCIS. These scam emails come from a fraudulent email address (news@uscis.gov) and the body of
Maureen K. Ohlhausen Appointed as Acting FTC Chairwoman
On January 13, current FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez announced that she would resign from her position effective February 10, 2017. Ramirez was instrumental in increasing the FTC’s cybersecurity enforcement authority, going after a wide range of data security related private offenders and demonstrating the FTC’s cyber “watchdog” status.
Last Wednesday, January 25, President Trump’s administration
FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez Steps Down
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently announced that FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez will be stepping down effective February 10, 2017. Ms. Ramirez guided the agency through a period of significant enforcement activity, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and consumer privacy. President-elect Donald Trump will now have the opportunity to fill three vacancies at the
FTC Settles Claim of False Representations by Digital Advertising Company
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has entered into a Consent Order to resolve a complaint brought against a digital advertising company, Turn Inc. Turn provided advertisers with the ability to engage in targeted advertising by tracking consumer’s activities or characteristics to deliver ads tailored to the consumer’s interests. The FTC alleged that Turn violated federal
FTC Joins Other Agencies In Warning Organizations About Ransomware
Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) blogged about How to defend against ransomware, and published Ransomware – A Closer Look in the “Tips and Advice” section of its website. This follows warnings from other federal agencies and law enforcement concerning this serious online threat to organizations, such as Dept. of Health and