Archive for June, 2012

Lack of Basic Security Practices Results in $1.7 Million Sanction

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

July 4 Update to Original Post: See additional recent statements from the OCR and the Alaska DHSS about this case here.

Here is a significant sanction, just applied, that all organizations, of all sizes, need to take notice of. Even if you are not in the healthcare industry, this case points out the elements of an information security and privacy program, and the supporting safeguards, which will be used as a model of standard practices to by all types of regulatory oversight agencies. (more…)

Messaging Misjudgment Kills Careers

Monday, June 18th, 2012

June 22 update to this topic: Today the judge refused to block the release of the emails as Sebring and her lover requested. See http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120622/NEWS/120622012/Judge-announces-decision-on-Sebring-email-release

In the past few weeks the use of emails at work has been in the news a lot in central Iowa, and the news quickly spread around the globe because of the sex and intrigue involved.  Basically, approximately four months before the end of school, the Des Moines Superintendent of Schools at the time, Dr. Sebring, started sending what would end up being over 40 very personal and sexually explicit messages to

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