This week, I learned a new thing. Many things actually, but one in particular that was really eye-opening for someone who has been a privacy professional for as long as I have. Session replay technology. I had never heard of it before. I found out about it because Apple is now telling its app developers … Continue Reading
I had very interesting conversations with both of my classes in the last week over the sharing of genetic information in the context of learning about the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA). GINA generally prohibits employers and insurers from using genetic information to discriminate in employment or insurance underwriting. People mistaken believe that GINA protects … Continue Reading
Ok it’s not as great as your birthday, but it comes once a year—Data Privacy Day, which was celebrated worldwide this week on January 28, 2019. In honor of Data Privacy Day 2019, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published a map of the world showing which countries protect the online privacy … Continue Reading
Last week’s Privacy Tip centered on how our cell phone geolocation data is being sold by the telephone companies Cell Phone Geolocation Data Being Sold. I sent out an APB to readers to answer my question about how they can do this when I turn off my location based services. My question was “…the thing … Continue Reading
We previously cautioned that telephone companies sell customer data to third parties, including location data [view related posts here]. Last year, the telecom industry pledged to stop the practice after pressure by members of Congress. Earlier this month, Joseph Cox of Motherboard released I Gave a Bounty Hunter $300. Then He Located Our Phone and … Continue Reading
A lawsuit filed late last week by Los Angeles City Attorney Michael Feuer alleges that TWC Product and Technology LLC (TWC), the company behind The Weather Company App, is collecting, disclosing, selling and monetizing users’ information without their consent. According to the lawsuit, the weather app tracks real time geolocation data on 45 million users … Continue Reading
It’s a new year, and a worthy new year’s resolution (besides shedding those pesky 10 pounds) is to review your online footprint and look for ways to reduce it. One way to review your online footprint is to Google yourself to see what data brokers have compiled on you and what has been picked up … Continue Reading
New Year’s is a time to look back on the happenings of the year and focus on the lessons and reminders those events have provided. As our last set of bulk posts for the year, we’d like to share with you our top 10 most read posts in 2018. Bezop Cryptocurrency Investors’ Personal Information Exposed … Continue Reading
In this week’s New + Now piece, we discuss the importance of patching software vulnerabilities and being patient at work to allow your data security colleagues to patch those vulnerabilities, which are coming more frequently and are taking longer. When I conduct employee data privacy and security education sessions for clients, I am surprised at … Continue Reading
I knew I would get it. It was just a matter of time. The dreaded breach notification email from Starwood Hotels/Marriott hit my inbox this Monday. As you know, I am one that is serious about data privacy. I have received notification of data breaches of my information before, and what irks me is that … Continue Reading
We previously commented on the risks around the United State Postal Service’s (USPS) “Informed Visibility” service, which allows customers to preview their mail to inform them when it will be delivered. Some security experts recommend that customers opt out of the program so an account cannot be opened in your name. Last week, it was … Continue Reading
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a warning to consumers about an email that appears to come from “IRS Online.” The email is designed to get the recipient to click on an attachment labeled “Tax Account Transcript” or “tax transcript,” which is infected with the Emotet malware. Tax transcripts are summaries of your tax … Continue Reading
It’s that time. The holidays and shopping deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Here is some helpful information to consider while shopping this weekend. A new study from RiskIQ—its 2018 Black Friday E-commerce Blacklist states that “This Thanksgiving weekend, threat actors are poised to claim a pretty big slice of the e-commerce pie.” How, you … Continue Reading
Criminals have been able to get individuals to wire funds to them for years. It is an old scam that still works. One of the companies that have been used by criminals in the past for wire fraud is MoneyGram, which was sued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2009 and required to put … Continue Reading
The United State Postal Service (USPS) launched a program called “Informed Delivery” with the goal to assist consumers in protecting themselves from identity theft. The program allows consumers to register an account on usps.gov which allows one to view scanned images of all of their incoming mail for free. However, it is being reported that … Continue Reading
It used to be that caller ID was a helpful tool to determine whether the person on the other end of the line was someone you knew. If the caller ID came up as unknown, you could decide not to answer the phone. Sometimes a call might come in and you don’t recognize the actual … Continue Reading
Small businesses are targeted by hackers because they often do not have the resources to stay abreast of new schemes, or to protect against them with the latest technology or security solutions. Small businesses have historically struggled with data security, so any help is always welcome. Recognizing that small businesses struggle with data security, the … Continue Reading
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced yesterday that it will release on a quarterly basis instead of annually an aggregated report of all of the consumer complaints lodged by individuals . The goal is to provide more up-to-date information about what consumers are experiencing so others can learn from them and protect themselves from becoming … Continue Reading
I often hear people say that they have no control of their data, that their data is being monetized by big companies, that they don’t know what those companies are doing with their data, that they are frustrated when they receive notification that their data has been compromised, and they didn’t even know that company … Continue Reading
Facebook announced late last week that it had suffered the largest breach in its history with 50 million accounts were compromised, and another 40 million accounts affected. Yes, that equals 90 million accounts. If you use Facebook and were locked out of your account over the weekend, your account was most likely affected. The 50 … Continue Reading
California lawmakers have taken the lead in trying to address privacy and security issues with Internet of Things (IoT) devices (which we have been writing about for years), by passing the country’s first IoT security bill, which is now headed to Governor Brown’s desk for signature by September 30. One of the issues addressed by … Continue Reading
The recent tragedy with gas customers in Massachusetts has everyone focused on their utilities. Which makes it a perfect time for scam artists to take advantage of worried customers—both individuals and small businesses. One scam making headway is when a fraudster calls a customer over the telephone telling them that their water, electricity or gas … Continue Reading
As Hurricane Florence bears down on the Carolinas in the next few days, beware of scammers trying to take advantage of the good hearts of those of us who want to help the victims. We have seen it before, and no doubt it will happen again in the next few weeks as the devastation of … Continue Reading
An old trick is coming back and working. It is a wire fraud scheme targeted at homeowners instead of businesses, and it is happening at an alarming rate. Here’s how it works: An individual is in the process of purchasing a home. Most of the communication in real estate transactions these days is done via … Continue Reading
