On October 8, 2026, a federal judge in Pennsylvania allowed most claims in a student data-breach lawsuit against Fireworks Software, Inc. to proceed, while dismissing a New Jersey consumer-fraud claim. Adamek v. Fireworks Software, Inc., No. 2:24-cv-05185-NIQA, slip op. at 4–15 (E.D. Pa. Oct. 8, 2026), is a class action litigation following a 2024
personally identifiable information
ShinyHunters Target Medical Device Company Medtronic
Global medical device company Medtronic recently confirmed that it had been attacked by the threat actor group, ShinyHunters. According to Bleeping Computer, Medtronic is “the largest medical device maker in the world by revenue ($33.5 billion) and also develops healthcare technologies and therapies.”
ShinyHunters alleges that it has stolen over nine million Medtronic records…
Privacy Tip #488 – Account Change Phishing Alerts from “Apple” Are Tricking Users
A new, yet old, scheme has been quite successful and users should beware. If you get an account change message from Apple, be on high alert that it is fake and malicious.
According to Bleeping Computer, the scheme involves a threat actor using an Apple support email (e.g., appleid@id.apple.com) to send phishing emails to…
Privacy Tip #487 – Eurail Notifies 300,000+ Individuals of Data Breach
I have very fond memories of using a Eurail pass back in the day while backpacking through Europe as a student. I was saddened to see that Eurail was the victim of a data breach in December 2025 when attackers obtained access to travelers’ full names and contact information, including email addresses, passport details, ID…
New State Privacy Laws Expand Consumer Data Control in 2026
On January 1, 2026, broad new privacy laws will take effect in Kentucky, Indiana, and Rhode Island, granting consumers in those states greater control over their personal data. With these additions, 19 states now have comprehensive privacy laws in place, which is a significant shift in the data privacy landscape since California led the way in 2018 with the…
Auto Credit Check Company Breach Affects 5.6 Million
700Credit, a Michigan-based company that runs credit checks and identification verification services for automobile dealerships nationwide, has announced that an “integrated partner” was compromised, allowing a bad actor to obtain unauthorized access to its network of information about individuals whose credit the company checked. The incident was discovered on October 25, 2025.
Michigan officials confirmed…
“Buried” Forum Selection Clause Sends CIPA Class Action to Minnesota: Key Lessons from Adam v. CaringBridge
A recent federal court decision in Adam v. CaringBridge, Inc., No. 25-cv-06042-WHO, 2025 WL 3493565 (N. Cal. Dec. 5, 2025), offers a cautionary tale for plaintiffs in privacy class actions, and a strategic playbook for defendants. Even where a case is properly filed in California (the home turf for many privacy statutes and plaintiffs)…
Privacy Tip #449 – Scammers Hijacking Websites to Insert Fake Support Number
Malwarebytes recently reported that it has found scammers hijacking websites of name brands, including banks, software companies, and social media platforms to trick victims into calling a fraudulent telephone number instead of a 24/7 support line.
According to Malwarebytes:
Here’s how it works: Cybercriminals pay for a sponsored ad on Google pretending to be a…
Privacy Tip #448 – Privacy Tips for 2025: A Timely Reminder
After writing over 500 privacy tips in my career, it gets a little difficult to find new content to keep the tips relevant and timely. I came across a recent post by the CyberGuy, Kurt Knutsson, that I thought our readers would get some insightful tips from, including up to date ideas on how…
Why Dumping Sensitive Data on Network Shares is a Liability
Are you storing sensitive data on a shared network drive? If so, your organization could be at serious risk of a data breach or privacy lawsuit. Shared drives, like the common “S:\ drive,” are often used to store documents, spreadsheets, customer information, financial records, and even scanned IDs. But here’s the problem: these network shares…