Ever since Mr. Edward Snowden released classified information about the U.S. spying program “Prism,” a dirty little secret within the tech service industry has emerged – namely, that when it comes to securing mission-critical data, companies like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, etc., must, in accordance with the law, hand over such data, thereby throwing a wrench into […]
Last Week, State of Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed SB 5211 into law, which prohibits employers from requiring or requesting that prospective or current employees disclose their username and password to their personal social media accounts. Washington State now joins a growing list of states (Maryland, California, Illinois, Michigan, Utah, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Colorado) who […]
Verizon recently released its 2013 Data Breach Investigations Report, and the outlook for organizations trying to protect their intellectual property is dire. Cyber-based corporate and industrial espionage has risen so dramatically in the last year that intelligence officials are asking boardrooms across the U.S. to be more vigilant against cyber-criminals who are motivated by financial gain […]
On July 1, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) will begin enforcement of new regulations pertaining to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA”). For two years, regulator’s had sought to update COPPA “with the times” by expanding the law beyond its original intent – to prevent web-based companies from obtaining personal information of children […]
Earlier this month, March 8, 2013, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued a ruling related to the warrantless forensic examination of electronic data on a laptop that was seized at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona (U.S. v. Cotterman, No. 09-10139). The fallout from the U.S. v. Cotterman ruling is significant in that, going forward, law […]
The United States Telecom Association, whose member representatives include Internet service provider’s like CenturyLink, AT&T, and Verizon, appears to have blocked a Federal Communications Commission advisory panel’s recommendation on measures needed to deal with the nation’s cyber-security problem. The lack of an agreement on Internet regulatory oversight highlights growing tension between the Obama administration’s directive, which orders […]
As the U.S. intelligence community prepares to militarize its cyber-units for warfare in a virtual world, the rest of us are left to wonder how can we protect our asset resources from a “virtual-attack.” Cyber-warfare and espionage have now supplanted terrorism as the greatest threat to our national infrastructure. As a result of more mainstream media coverage, the […]
Newly appointed Federal Trade Commission Chair Ms. Edith Ramirez indicated today in a Q&A discussion that the priorities for the FTC under her watch will be enforcement of the COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) law; regulating the mobile application world, due to its tremendous footprint amongst the American consumer; and a new initiative centered […]
Breaches of an organizations critical infrastructure, specifically its cyber-infrastructure, have become a daily recurring problem for businesses and governments worldwide. Allegations of the Chinese military hacking into IT networks of American businesses and organized criminal enterprises setting up lucrative black market schemes permeate the mainstream media market. When a breach of mission-critical data occurs, should the […]
A group of Washington State Senator’s are sponsoring a proposed state law that would prohibit businesses from requiring potential and current employees disclose the passwords of their social media sites. Under proposed Senate Bill 5211, businesses would be prohibited “as a condition of employment or continued employment, from requiring an employee or prospective employee to […]