As the Internal Revenue Service warned tax professionals last month, malicious actors are currently attempting to hack into tax preparers’ networks to steal 2019 tax return information. If you are a professional tax preparer, you are a target – regardless of the size of your business. Malicious actors target information including tax returns filed in previous years, Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement images, and anything than contains unredacted Social Security numbers
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Tax Return Theft: Tips for Prevention & Response Posted on: January 08, 2019 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
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Ransomware: Recommendations for Preparation and Response Posted on: January 03, 2019 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
The response to an encryption attack can be very difficult. Encrypted critical data usually places a business in a crisis with no ability – or an extremely limited ability – to conduct basic operations. Too few organizations have developed incident response plans providing for contingent or out-of-band communications. Often, before consulting any incident response experts, the victim business has communicated with the attacker and revealed information that the attacker is able to leverage in negotiations.
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Michigan Next State to Adopt Insurance Data Security Model Law Posted on: January 03, 2019 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
Michigan is poised to become the next state to adopt a data security law similar to the Insurance Data Security Model Law advocated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Michigan House Bill 6491, passed by the Michigan House during Michigan’s 99th Legislative Session on December 6, 2018, and passed by the Michigan Senate on December 19, 2018, was presented to its then-Governor Rick Snyder on December 27, 2018.
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Cybersecurity Resolutions for 2019 Posted on: December 28, 2018 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
A new year is upon us, which means people across the world will resolve to exercise more, eat healthier, eliminate financial debt and, most importantly, enhance their cybersecurity over the coming year. More than the typical New Year’s resolutions, improving your individual and corporate cybersecurity defenses can be easier to achieve and sustain. With that in mind, here are a few cybersecurity resolutions to add to your new year’s list, and a few tips for achieving them in 2019.
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Lack of Code Diversity in Cryptocurrency Ethereum May be Propagating Bad Code Posted on: November 12, 2018 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
Ethereum, one of the most popular cryptocurrencies with a market cap of more than $21.8 billon, is causing serious anxiety in the cryptocurrency marketplace. Code integrity concerns have resulted in $170 million in cryptocurrency being frozen, and one recent security compromise caused $38,000 in losses to users. New research has further heightened concerns about the coin’s ecosystem itself.
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Social Media and the Workplace – Why and How Employers Should Limit the Use of Social Media in the Workplace Posted on: November 09, 2018 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
Social media has revolutionized the way people communicate and stay in contact with one another. But in the workplace, trying to “friend” an employee or sharing a photo with sensitive information in the background can create legal liabilities that employers may not have thought about before.
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New Canadian Data Breach Notification Requirements Take Effect as PIPEDA Amendments Come Into Force Posted on: October 31, 2018 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
On November 1, 2018, the long-awaited amendments to Canada’s main federal data privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), take effect.
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American Bar Association Issues Data Breach Guidance Posted on: October 23, 2018 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
On October 17, 2018, the American Bar Association (ABA) released Formal Opinion 483 (the Opinion) which formally recognized that lawyers have an ethical duty to notify clients whose confidential information is compromised by a data breach.
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Social Engineering Targets: Email Compromises - A Quick Prevention Guide Posted on: October 15, 2018 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
More than ever before, malicious actors are targeting email platforms in an attempt to access and monetize sensitive personal information. They often gain access to email accounts through the use of social engineering – inducing unsuspecting account owners to open email attachments that contain malicious computer code (malware).
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California Legislature Passes Benefit Reimbursement Law for Data Breach Victims Posted on: September 10, 2018 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
The California legislature, in recognizing the vulnerability of state information systems to exploitation by malicious actors, recently passed legislation allowing state benefits to be reimbursed to affected persons if benefits are stolen through a data breach.
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Equifax Agrees to New Data Security Measures in Consent Order with Eight State Regulatory Agencies Posted on: July 25, 2018 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
On September 7, 2017, the consumer reporting agency Equifax announced one of the most highly publicized cybersecurity incidents in history, which may have exposed more than 143 million Americans’ personally identifiable information (PII). Equifax claimed that malicious actors gained unauthorized access to certain files containing consumers’ PII, including Social Security numbers and payment card information, between May and July of 2017.
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European Parliament Votes to Suspend the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Posted on: July 10, 2018 In: Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
On July 5, 2018, the European Parliament voted to suspend the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework (Privacy Shield), an agreement between the United States and the European Union regarding the obligations of U.S.-based companies to protect Europeans’ personal data.
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