As a Rhode Islander, I am a big fan of our former Governor and now Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo. She has always had her eye on the ball of the rapidly developing data privacy and cybersecurity risks and threats to national security. She is showing her continued commitment to data privacy, cybersecurity, and the
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Class Action Filed Against Commonwealth of Massachusetts for Alleged COVID-19 Contact-Tracing Spyware Installation
By Kathryn Rattigan on
Posted in Enforcement + Litigation
This week, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for its use of a COVID-19 contact-tracing app for residents’ mobile phones. However, very few residents voluntarily downloaded the app. The solution? The lawsuit alleges that Massachusetts caused the app to be downloaded to certain residents’ mobile…
Privacy Tip #347 – Do You Know What Geofencing Is and How You Are Tracked?
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
If you don’t know what geofencing is, I will give you some articles to read so you can become better educated on exactly what it is and how it is used to track you. It’s all a bit creepy, but is a good thing to understand. The key to geofencing is users who leave their…
Privacy Tip #119 – Getting the Newest Smartphone as a Gift? Take Care When Downloading Apps
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
‘Tis the season for gift giving. Smartphones and mobile devices are a hot item during the holidays. The first thing many people do when they get a new phone or device is to start downloading apps. Since there will be a lot of downloading over the next week, here are some tips to help you…
Hackers Could Target Airports, Planes, Satellites, Ships, Cars, and Trains
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity for critical infrastructure continues to be of concern, including the transportation sector. A new study by ABI Research concludes that although the transportation sector continues to increase spending on cybersecurity year over year, the rapid digitization of airports, aircraft, trains, ships, and cars puts this sector at risk.
The study mentions that poor cybersecurity is being applied to operational and control systems in the transportation sector, including engine and flight control systems, electronic positioning systems, logistical systems, communications systems, and navigational systems, and because many of them use off-the-shelf software and connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi or cellular networks, they are susceptible to hacking and intrusion.
Continue Reading Hackers Could Target Airports, Planes, Satellites, Ships, Cars, and Trains
Boston’s MBTA joins the bluetooth beacon bus –it will now track the movement of its riders
By Kathryn Rattigan on
Posted in Geolocation
If you don’t think you are being tracked as you move around Target or Macy’s or even through a local museum, you must not have a smartphone. Many companies are now using beacons –or stationary devices that measure the movements of people carrying smartphones through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transmissions, to understand the movements of consumers…