On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, the University of Texas at Austin announced that it has blocked TikTok access across the university’s networks. According to the announcement to its users, “You are no longer able to access TikTok on any device if you are connected to the university via its wired or WIFI networks.” The measure
Data Security
Nineteen States Have Banned TikTok on Government-Issued Devices
Governors of numerous states have issued Executive Orders in the past several weeks banning TikTok from government-issued devices and many have already implemented a ban, with others considering similar measures. There is also bi-partisan support of a ban in the Senate, which unanimously approved a bill last week that would ban the app from devices…
South Dakota Governor Bans State Workers from Using TikTok
It is estimated that some 80 million Americans and more than one billion people use TikTok. It is well known that TikTok has a direct connection to the Chinese Communist Party, which is a foreign adversary of the U.S. This week, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem signed an executive order banning all state workers or…
Privacy Tip #350 – Let’s All Ban the Use of TikTok Voluntarily
I continue to marvel at how many Americans are using TikTok but are oblivious to the fact that they are being duped by one of our foreign adversaries—the Chinese Communist Party. Folks, listen to and heed the warnings of both state and federal governments on the dangers that the use of TikTok poses to national…
The FCC Wants You to Delete TikTok
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr asserted that TikTok poses an “unacceptable national security risk” in a letter to the CEOs of Google and Apple urging the companies to remove the app from their mobile app stores. According to Carr, TikTok’s history of “surreptitious access of private and sensitive U.S. user data by persons located in Beijing…
If Your Disclosure of a Data Breach Was “Late,” You May Have to Litigate
A professional accounting firm in Illinois received an unwanted holiday “gift” in the form of a class action complaint stemming from its alleged failure to secure personally identifiable information (PII) and to timely notify affected parties of a data breach.
On December 17, 2021, a lawsuit was filed against Bansley & Kierner, LLP, which offers…
Privacy Tip #301 – Can Your Co-Worker Guess Your Password? Probably!
We talk about passwords a lot. As you know, I am a fan of passphrases instead of passwords as they are hard to guess and easy to remember—a perfect combination for security data.
Despite emphasizing how important passwords and passphrases are in protecting data, most individuals are not trying very hard to think about and…
Privacy Tip #280 – Using Biometric Information for Payments and Services
Many individuals already use facial recognition technology to authenticate and authorize payment through their smartphone. According to Jupiter Research, by 2025 (only four years away), 95 percent of smartphones will have biometric technology capabilities for authentication, including face, fingerprint, iris, and voice recognition. According to Juniper Research, this will amount to the authentication of over…
DOJ Warns of Business Email Compromise Scheme Targeted at PPP Loan Recipients
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts is warning small businesses that received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of a dramatic increase in reports of business email-compromise schemes related to the program. Scammers are using information about PPP recipients posted by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to impersonate PPP lenders requesting…
A Hackers ‘Shipageddon’ Has Set Sail: Beware of Fake Shipping Messages
As the holiday shopping season comes to end, consumers should still be aware that hackers are sending fake delivery notifications appearing to come from companies like FedEx and UPS, especially as the last few days of package arrivals pass by. The hackers’ messages prompt consumers to enter their personal information like credit card information to…