Archive for January, 2009

Business Info Fact Of The Day: Most Personnel Do Not Protect Laptop Information

Monday, January 19th, 2009

The Ponemon Institute seems to have been busy doing surveys throughout the world recently!
According to three separate research surveys they did in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. they report within the BNA Privacy and Security Law Reports (subscription required) about “The Human Factor in Laptop Encryption” many interesting findings. The following are some of the high-level summary statements; see the full reports for some very interesting statistics and analysis:

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Low-Tech Humor That Is SO True!

Sunday, January 18th, 2009

I got a kick out of the MSNBC article, “Eight bad tech habits to quit in the new year: These tired and tacky technology-based behaviors have got to go
While described with humor, most hit to the heart of truth. Here is a list of the eight bad habits; you can see the full descriptions in the article…

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Random thoughts: Network or security changes on inauguration day (1/20)?

Saturday, January 17th, 2009

I was at an ISACA meeting earlier this week, and over lunch I got into an interesting conversation with a group there about whether or not streaming video feeds were going to be allowed or blocked at the firewall during the inauguration of Barack Obama as U.S. president this coming Tuesday. Some views were that it was an historic event, that most people would not be working any way, and that to maintain goodwill with personnel the streaming videos would be allowed. Others said they would block the streaming video to maintain workable bandwidth, but they were setting up TV monitors throughout the facilities to allow personnel to view if they so chose to; allowing no network impact to others in the company who continued to work.

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Business Info Fact Of The Day: Smart Business Leaders Encrypt PII

Friday, January 16th, 2009

If you are a business leader you must know and understand that encrypting personally identifiable information (PII) protects that PII from being used for identity theft and other crimes should it fall into the hands of a crook. Business leaders need to know this, but unfortunately too many do not really know what encryption is, let alone how it can be used to protect PII, along with the business.

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Business Info Fact Of The Day: Financial Companies Need To Improve Security

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

The latest PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) information information security results show that financial companies are still not doing enough for information security and privacy. Here are a few of the findings:

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Business Info Fact Of The Day: PII Sent Through The Mail Is Often Stolen Or Lost

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

Over the years I have heard many times by my various government friends, even following too many mis-deliveries and lost packages to enumerate here, that packages and letters sent via the US postal service, and even through other delivery organizations such as UPS, FedEx and DHL, are considered as “secure” and that delivery is expected to be “guaranteed” or a “sure thing.” One time a couple of years ago an IRS employee told me curtly, “If we mailed it to you through the USPS then we can legally assume you received it.”
NOT!

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Business Info Fact Of The Day: Banks In Maine Spent $2.1 Million Responding To Breaches In 2007 & 2008

Monday, January 12th, 2009

Maine’s Bureau of Financial Institutions, a division of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, conducted the survey at the direction of the state legislature that revealed the costs of Maine’s banks and credit unions when responding to breaches…

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Business Info Fact Of The Day: International Data Privacy Day Is January 28, 2009

Sunday, January 11th, 2009

It is almost time, once more, for international Data Privacy Day; January 28, 2009!
Don’t just sit there; plan something to make your personnel, your family and friends, and/or your community more aware of privacy issues and concerns!
Here are a few ideas to get you started:

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Business Info Fact Of The Day: 78% Of Breaches Caused By Insiders

Friday, January 9th, 2009

Here’s another study about the increase in privacy breaches in 2008, and how most of them are caused by insiders…

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Speaking Schedule

Friday, January 9th, 2009

Here’s my speaking schedule so far this year…

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