The Cyber Safety Review Board (Board) issued a report entitled, Review of the Attacks Associates with Lapsus$ and Related Threat Groups (Report), released by the Department of Homeland Security on August 10, 2023. The Report begins with a message from the Board’s Chair and Vice Chair discussing WarGames, a movie with interesting parallels to
password
NYSDFS Fines Lender and Mortgage Servicer $4.25M for Cybersecurity Failures Including Vendor Management
Yesterday, New York’s Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) announced another enforcement action under the state’s Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services Companies, 23 N.Y.C.R.R. Part 500 (“Reg 500”). According to the press release, OneMain Financial Group LLC (“OneMain”) will pay a $4.25 million penalty to New York State for alleged violations of Reg 500.
In the…
Preventing “Credential Stuffing” Attacks, Guidance from NY State Attorney General Letitia James
After reading New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Business Guide for Credential Stuffing Attacks (“Guide”), I promptly reminded my family (and myself!) to change passwords. The practice of using the same password for multiple online accounts is one that most, if not all of us, use from time to time. According to a recent study,…
Can Hackers Break Into GPS Trackers Used For Your Fleet?
The answer may be yes.
GPS trackers enable businesses to derive greater efficiencies and productivity from their employees and their vehicle fleets. But, when businesses deploy this technology, HR departments often raise valid concerns about employee privacy on and, in some cases, off the job. When employers install GPS trackers on company-owned vehicles, these privacy…
SCOTUS Will Not Review CFAA Password Sharing Case
The United State Supreme Court recently denied certiorari in Nosal v. United States, 16-1344, declining to weigh in on the scope of unauthorized access under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”). The Ninth Circuit held in Nosal that David Nosal violated the CFAA by using his past assistant’s password to access his former…
Company Awarded Damages After Former Employee Hacks Its Systems and Hijacks Its Website
A company can recover damages from its former employee in connection with his hacking into its payroll system to inflate his pay, accessing its proprietary files without authorization and hijacking its website, a federal court ruled. Tyan, Inc. v. Yovan Garcia, Case No. CV 15-05443- MWF (JPRx) (C.D. Cali. May 2, 2017).
The Defendant…
Eleventh Circuit Upholds Company Claims Against Former Executive For Unlawful Access to Email
A terminated executive who accessed co-worker emails in the process of reporting possible company wrongdoing lost his appeal on several grounds. In Brown Jordan Intl, Inc. v. Carmicle, the Eleventh Circuit found that the employee violated both the Stored Communications Act (SCA) and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).
Carmicle reported to the…
Sharing of Passwords Under Certain Circumstances Unlawful
Many companies have experienced the departure of an employee and the elimination of that former employees access to the company’s computers and networks. In the recent case of USA v. Nosal, D.C. No. 3:08-cr-00237-EMC-1 (July 5, 2016), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was presented with the following facts: Nosal, a former employee of…
Illinois Enacts Amendments to the Personal Information Protection Act
Last month, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law a number of amendments to the State’s Personal Information Protection Act (“PIPA”) that expand the definition of protected personal information and increase certain data breach notification requirements. The amendments, highlighted below, take effect January 1, 2017.
Currently, “personal information” is limited to an individual’s first name…
States Continue to Protect the Personal Social Media Accounts of Employees, with Oregon Likely to Add an Interesting Twist
Over the past few years, states around the country have enacted laws limiting an employer’s ability to access the personal social media accounts of applicants and employees. Earlier this year, Montana’s Governor Steve Bullock signed HB 342 into law. Before that, Virginia enacted a similar measure. On May 19, Connecticut’s Governor added
…