The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is informing drone operators of the restrictions on drone flights before, during and after Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, February 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The FAA expects more than 2,500 additional take-offs and landings and almost
OCR Announces Second $85,000 Settlement for Alleged Violations of the Individual Right of Access under HIPAA
On December 12, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced its second “HIPAA Right of Access Initiative” settlement of alleged HIPAA violations.
The HIPAA Right of Access Initiative is a new effort in 2019 by OCR to monitor compliance with HIPAA requirements addressing patient rights to promptly…
Florida Municipalities Getting Hammered with Ransomware
Security researchers have warned municipalities repeatedly about how they are being targeted with ransomware, that they are at high risk, and the need to make data security a high priority.
Municipalities are unfortunately only taking heed now that recent ransomware campaigns are in the news and bringing some municipalities to their knees [view related posts…
Model Rule for Securities Administrators Approved by NASAA
The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) this week approved an information security model rule package aimed at improving the cybersecurity posture of the 17,543 state-registered advisers.
The proposed model would require state-registered investment advisers to establish written cybersecurity policies and procedures designed to safeguard clients’ records and information, and to deliver its privacy policy…
FAA Investigates Near Drone-Helicopter Collision
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began investigating a YouTube video that shows a helicopter almost colliding with a drone right off the coast of Hollywood Beach, Florida. In the video, the drone is heading west towards the coast before its camera turns south and the helicopter is seen in the distance; the helicopter…
Study Shows Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies More than Doubled
Drones are becoming an everyday tool for more and more police and fire departments across the country. According to a study conducted by the Center for the Study of the Drone at New York’s Bard College, the number of public safety agencies with drones has more than doubled since the end of 2016. In fact,…
Unencrypted Backup Drive of 531 EEG Patients Lost
Baptist Medical Center South, located in Jacksonville, Florida has admitted that one of its backup drives has been missing since May 18, 2017. The unencrypted backup drive contained the protected health information of 531 patients who underwent an EEG at the facility between 2015 and 2017. It has not been recovered to date.
The backup…
A&B Insurance Settles TCPA Class Action for $4.25 Million
Last week, A&B Insurance and Financial LLC (A&B Insurance) agreed to pay $4.25 million to settle claims that it violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by initiating telephone calls to consumers without prior express consent, as required by the TCPA, including some calls to consumers on the federal Do Not Call Registry. Lead plaintiffs,…
Class Action Initiated Against Telehealth Provider for Disclosure of Sensitive Information
A class action was filed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this week against a national telehealth provider, MDLive Inc. (MDLive) for its mobile app’s alleged secret capture of screenshots containing sensitive patient information without restricting access to medical providers who have a legitimate need to view the information. The lawsuit was filed by Utah resident, Joan Richards, who is seeking class certification of a class that she estimates will include thousands of other MDLive users and more than $5 million damages.
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Orlando Issues New Drone Ordinance to ‘Balance the Need to Protect the Privacy of its Citizens’
The city of Orlando, Florida recently issued a new drone ordinance aiming to “promote hobbyists and commercial use of unmanned aircraft” while “balancing the paramount need to protect the well-being, tranquility and privacy of its citizens.” The ordinance restricts the use of drones (i.e., the launch, landing or operation) at or near city property: 500…