“Cybersecurity” has emerged as one of top risks facing organizations. Considering the steady stream of massive data breaches affecting millions (sometimes billions), the debilitating effects of ransomware on an organization’s information systems, the intrigue of international threat actors, and the mobilization and collaboration of national law enforcement to thwart these attacks, it’s no wonder. Notions
Cybersecurity Awareness Month Series: Cybersecurity is Important for Small Business Too.
Small businesses may be discouraged from investing in preventive cybersecurity measures due to the expense involved and the mistaken belief that only larger companies are the target of cybercrimes. But that is not the case. The FBI’s Internet Crime Report indicated the cost of cybercrimes against small businesses reached $2.4 billion in 2021, indicating that
The Key to NYC and Other Cities’ COVID-19 Vaccine Proof Mandates, and Potential Privacy Issues
Cities step up their efforts to combat the COVID-19 Delta variant. New York City, New Orleans, and San Francisco have all announced requirements for certain persons to produce evidence of COVID vaccination status in order to patronize or work indoors at certain establishments. Adding to an already complex patchwork of COVID-related regulation –
North Dakota Implements A New Student Privacy Law
North Dakota’s State Board of Higher Education recently implemented the Student Data Privacy and Security Bill of Rights (the “Policy”). The Policy, which went into effect on May 29, 2020, was created by the North Dakota Student Association to facilitate students’ access to their Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”), and to regulate the North Dakota University
Personal Information, Private Information, Personally Identifiable Information…What’s the Difference?
When privacy geeks talk “privacy,” it is not uncommon for them to use certain terms interchangeably –personal data, personal information, personally identifiable information, private information, individually identifiable information, protected health information, or individually identifiable health information. They might even speak in acronyms – PI, PII, PHI, NPI, etc. Blurring those distinctions might be OK for
Federal Court Permits Former Employees’ Data Breach Claims to Move Forward
A data breach occurs in which an outside individual obtains your company’s employees’ W-2 forms including social security numbers, addresses, and salary information. As a result, your company notifies all affected employees, explains what occurred, and offers a complimentary two-year membership to a service that helps detect misuse of personal information. Is your company liable
Senate Bill Introduced to Protect Personally Identifiable Information
Primarily motivated by several recent massive data breaches, Senate Democrats recently introduced a bill geared toward protecting Americans’ personal information against cyber attacks and to ensure timely notification and protection when data is breached.
The Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2017 provides that companies that collect and hold data on at least 10,000 Americans would
Nevada Updated Its Definition of Personal Information, Have You?
When businesses set out to safeguard “personal information,” a fundamental consideration is what that term means. Likewise, when negotiating a third-party vendor agreement, it typically is not enough to rely on the standard definition for “confidential information.” Recently, Nevada and other states have updated their definitions of personal information in connection data breaches notification and