We all watched in horror last week as the beautiful spire of Notre Dame Cathedral was engulfed in flames. I visited Notre Dame for the first time, right before I started my first year of law school, and it was awe inspiring. The fire and tragedy of the loss hit us all, and many of … Continue Reading
On April 14, 2019, Microsoft alerted some account owners that Microsoft Outlook and Hotmail email addresses had been compromised over a three-month period. According to Microsoft, “We have identified that a Microsoft support agent’s credentials were compromised, enabling individuals outside Microsoft to access information within your Microsoft email account.” It also said “[U]pon awareness of … Continue Reading
I try to keep my spam filter on the most restrictive setting, which has dramatically decreased the amount of spam I receive in my email box every day. But every once in a while, I receive an email that makes my gut twitch and my eyebrows raise. I got one today from a well-known bank, … Continue Reading
There are so many data breaches in the news these days that it is hard even for us to keep up, and this is our day-to-day profession. There were several recent data breaches that didn’t make headlines, but are important to note if you are a customer. Restaurant chain Buca di Beppo confirmed that it … Continue Reading
Apple has partnered with Goldman Sachs to offer a privacy-protected credit card that has no signature, card number or any other personal information except your name. The card is tracked through Apple Pay, so users can manage the account through their iPhone. It allows users to track their spending and receive reports on their phones … Continue Reading
In the midst of unending robocalls, news of big tech companies collecting, using and monetizing consumers’ information, and hackers and scammers, we forget that anyone is doing anything to protect our privacy. Only somewhat comforting against that backdrop is the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) annual report on its privacy and security work, which was released … Continue Reading
In another round of warnings from the federal government on protecting yourself from tax return fraud and identity theft, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued its 2019 “Dirty Dozen” Campaign, designed to warn individuals about the most common tax-related phishing schemes that are focused on tax fraud and identity theft. During tax season, cyber … Continue Reading
This week is National Consumer Protection Week. In celebration of that, this post is devoted to protection from tax identity theft. At this time of year, as we all prepare and file our tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), we are reminded again that tax identity theft continues to be a problem. Tax … Continue Reading
Parents have historically struggled with how to address their children’s online activity. Parenting styles differ, but most parents understand that monitoring and supervising their children’s online activity is important and necessary. There is a federal law, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, (aka, COPPA) that applies to the online activities of children under the age … Continue Reading
This was a particularly difficult travel week. In the past 36 hours, I have traveled on five planes in multiple cities (not always on the set itinerary due to diversions and mechanical issues) and the final leg of my travel home was “ground transportation” when my plane was diverted. Just so you know, when they … Continue Reading
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
