#cybersecurity

Oct 2, 2018
3 min

Protecting Children's Privacy Online

Children today are digital natives. They do homework, read books, talk to friends, play games and watch videos online. Personally, I want my children to be tech savvy and use the Internet, but I am concerned that my children's first introduction to the "birds and the bees" will be through a YouTube video. Or that my children will be forced into premature maturity through unfiltered online content. I am also concerned about scrupulous characters who try to take advantage of

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Sep 27, 2018
2 min

Internet of Things and Cyber Insurance

In my last blog, Attorneys will Impact the Internet of Things, I discussed that the IoT creates a significant risk to privacy and cybersecurity. Like so many other industries -- automotive, pharmaceutical, healthcare, environmental -- it's not until attorneys start suing developers and manufacturers, and juries render multi-million dollar verdicts against corporations, that security and safety become a priority in the IoT. Already our cars, watches, fridges, thermostats, doo

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Sep 25, 2018
3 min

Attorneys will impact the Internet of Things

Anything connected to the Internet can be hacked. With the Internet of Things (IoT), everything is being connected to the Internet. Therefore, everything will eventually become hackable. This is how Bruce Schneier starts his newest book, Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyber-connected World. As he puts it, everything is, or will be, a computer. A car is a computer on wheels, a plane is a computer in the air, a smartphone is a computer that makes

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Sep 20, 2018
3 min

Insurance Commissioners Oppose Federal Cybersecurity Law

On September 13, the House Financial Services Committee passed H.R. 6743, the Consumer Information Notification Requirement Act. The legislation, sponsored by Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer, is an attempt to institute a new statutory requirement that all financial institutions notify consumers in the event of a breach involving their personal information. This Act will preempt any State law with respect to securing pers

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Sep 13, 2018
4 min

The Expense of a Data Breach

Business executives and owners may not appreciate the pain (financially, mentally, and emotionally) that a data breach will cause. Ask any executive who has experienced a data breach and you will hear stories of the pandemonium and stress. After the dust settles (a bit), the expenses start to pile up. If you are wondering why a data breach is so expensive and where these expenses come from, then this blog post is for you. Investigation When a breach is suspected or confirm

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Sep 11, 2018
4 min

DraftKings Sues Unknown Hackers

In August, DraftKings' website, www.draftkings.com, was the victim of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. DraftKings is an online platform for individuals to compete in daily fantasy sports contests. The attack shut down the website’s operations for 26 minutes. Although a relatively short period of time, DraftKings suffered financial harm and is unhappy. So much so, that on August 30, DraftKings filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts against John Does. Why John Does? Be

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Aug 23, 2018
3 min

Florida Law Firm Hacked Then Sued For Legal Malpractice

Real estate attorneys are prime targets for data breaches, but do they have a duty to prevent/avoid a breach? A Florida company is asking a court to find that attorneys are responsible for maintaining proper cybersecurity in email communications. In 2016, a Seller of real property entered into a contract with a Buyer for property in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The Seller's real estate agent referred an Attorney to perform the closing services for the purchase. The agreed up

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Aug 21, 2018
2 min

Locked-In Ransomware hits Maryland Company

A local Maryland embroidery and silk-screening company is suing its insurance carrier due to a Locked-In ransomware attack. In July, National Ink and Stitch, LLC, filed a lawsuit against State Auto Insurance Companies in the District Court of Maryland. National Ink alleges that in December 2016, it discovered that its computer system was infected with the Locked-In ransomware. The ransomware completely shut down the company's computer system and destroyed software and data,

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Aug 14, 2018
2 min

Construction company lost $1.6 million in email scam

According to a complaint filed in federal court, Quality Plus Services, Inc, claims that earlier this year it discovered it was a victim of social engineering fraud resulting in a combined loss of $1,633,018.00. On five separate occasions, QPS received spoofed emails with payment instructions. Each of the emails adopted the form, intonation, and direction typical of the handling of QPS accounts. The emails were engineered to look like that of an employee authorized to give p

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Aug 9, 2018
4 min

Lawsuits Against Software Developers and IT Specialists

People understand and may even accept that software in computers and mobile devices have glitches, failures and security holes. People have experienced the blue screen of death, corrupt files, slow applications, viruses and malware. This is just the way it is, right? Maybe not. Companies are now asking the question: Should software developers and IT professionals have a duty to provide the public with better products and services? With the recent wave of data breaches and

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Jul 31, 2018
3 min

What is Cyber Law?

Cyber Law or cyberspace law is the field of law dealing with the Internet, encompassing cases, statutes, regulations, and disputes that affect people and businesses interacting through computers. CYBERLAW, Black's Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014) Cyber Law is fairly new and rapidly evolving. The Internet had its origins in 1969 as an experimental networking project supported by the Advanced Research Project Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense. In 1983, the network switche

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Jul 11, 2018
2 min

Cyberclaims and litigation against insurance professionals

Earlier this year, Westlaw (Thomson Reuters) published an article I wrote. In case you missed it, here are some excerpts. Technology such as cloud computing, machine learning, "internet of things" and autonomous vehicles are changing society. Along with these rapid societal changes, cyberthreats are evolving more quickly than chief information security officers can deploy systems to anticipate and prevent breaches. While these breaches were once considered threats only for l

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Dec 27, 2017
2 min

The New Frontier - CyberSpace

You probably can't define it and even scholars disagree on what it means, but we all operate in "cyberspace." At first, cyberspace was limited to communication (think email), then e-commerce, but it has now expanded to a critical component of our everyday lives. We depend on systems that operate autonomously to manage simple tasks such as making reservations, automatic bill pay, and electronic tolls. We rely on these systems to handle complex operations like making trades on

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Oct 6, 2017
3 min

5 Reasons Companies Should Be Concerned About Hacking

It is hacking season! Companies are paying millions of dollars related to hacking incidents - Target, Sony, Anthem, to name a few. Hackers are targeting companies that store personal identifiable information (PII). These companies include law firms, restaurants, universities, healthcare service providers and the government. If you operate a business, here are five reasons you should be concerned. 1. Hacking Happens It really does not matter if you operate a national chain or

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Sep 1, 2017
1 min

Insurance & Finance Must Comply with NY Cybersecurity Regulation

As of August 28, 2017, "Covered Entities" such as banks, insurance companies, and other financial services institutions must comply with the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) recently adopted cybersecurity regulation. All regulated entities must have: • a cybersecurity program designed to protect consumers’ private data; • a written policy or policies that are approved by the board or a senior officer; • a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to help

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