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The 2016 U.S. Presidential election demonstrated the importance of digital campaigning. President Trump’s campaign was vastly outspent by Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and placed little emphasis on traditional ground-game tactics. Instead, Trump focused his campaign on digital strategies to target “persuadable voters” via social media. The outcome of the election demonstrated the efficacy of this strategy;…

During WWII, Morse Code was an indispensable asset that allowed the allies to transmit sensitive information over long distances with great accuracy. However, it contained an obvious, and potentially fatal, flaw — it provided no built in mechanism for identifying the sender of the messages. In order to combat this, U.S. intelligence officers implemented a…

The 2019 calendar year had a rough beginning with several massive data breaches. Just this week, more than 600 million account details were stolen from 16 different websites:

  • Dubsmash
  • MyFitnessPal
  • MyHeritage
  • ShareThis
  • HauteLook
  • Animoto
  • EyeEm
  • 8fit
  • Whitepages
  • Fotolog
  • 500px
  • Armor Games
  • BookMate
  • CoffeeMeetsBagel
  • Artsy
  • DataCamp

The account details being sold on the dark web from…

The deservedly well-publicized arrest of the Golden State Killer last fall was a coup for law enforcement, and a marvelous use of modern technology. Sequencing the DNA profile of material left by the killer at a crime scene 40 years ago, then scouring publicly available databases for a genetic match, and ultimately making the arrest…

The biggest sporting event of the year is now over— and the Patriots, with the help of NFL super duo Tom Brady (the oldest quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl) and Bill Belichick (the oldest head coach to ever win the Super Bowl) took the title—New England’s sixth since 2002.

Over 100 million people…

On September 28, 2018, California passed Senate Bill No. 327, Chapter 886, which regulates the security of all internet of things (IoT) devices sold in California.  Collectively, IoT broadly refers to all internet-enabled devices and includes everything from doorbells and lamps to cell phones and wearable devices. This bill, beginning on January 1, 2020, will…

In an effort to reduce liability from spills and other hazards, a few grocery store chains will now have a new employee on the ground: a six to seven-foot tall, googly-eyed robot named Marty. Marty is an autonomous robot with a “sensing tower on it with various cameras” giving it the ability to scan the…

These days, it is not uncommon to see drones flying overhead. But employers beware…you might see one during your next workplace inspection. Earlier this year, OSHA issued a memo formalizing its use of drones for inspection activities, and, according to a recent report by Bloomberg Law, it used drones for 9 inspections this year.

The memo indicates that OSHA can use drones for a number of purposes, including inspection of inaccessible or unsafe areas, for technical assistance in emergencies, and during compliance assistance activities. The memo sets forth the parameters OSHA must follow when using drones, but it also indicates that OSHA is exploring the option of obtaining a Blanket Public Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) from the FAA to operate drones nationwide.
Continue Reading OSHA’s Use of Drones During Workplace Inspections

Earlier this year, Governor Charlie Baker signed into law an Act to Protect Access to Confidential Healthcare (the PATCH Act), which prevents information regarding “sensitive health care services” from being shared with anyone other than the patient in the form of Explanation of Benefits (EOB) and Summary of Payment (SOP) forms. When more than one person is covered by the same medical insurance plan, sensitive health care information can be disclosed through the use of these common forms, sometimes including information on sexual assault, domestic violence, mental health disorders, or sexual and reproductive health. When the EOB or SOP is provided to the named policyholder—rather than the specific beneficiary that the services described therein relate to—the beneficiary’s confidentiality can be compromised. 
Continue Reading Massachusetts PATCH Act, Requires Additional Protection for Certain Confidential Health Care Information

On June 27, 2018, the State of Connecticut Treasurer’s Office announced that about $1.4 million had been stolen from Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) college-savings accounts. This theft resulted from data security breaches that occurred in early June, 2018.

Connecticut State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier confirmed that TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing Inc. (TIAA-CREF), the CHET Direct…