Archive for the ‘Laws & Regulations’ Category

Privacy Act: FTC Proposes Allowing Disclosure of PII Records to Third Parties To Assist Data Breach Response Within Gov’t Agencies

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007

On March 29 the FTC published a proposed new routine use, (72 Fed. Reg. 14814, 3/29/07), that would allow FTC records governed by the Privacy Act to be disclosed to “appropriate” persons and entities when reasonably necessary to respond and prevent, minimize, or remedy harm resulting from a U.S. government agency data breach or compromise.

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Software Licensing Infringement: Man Sentenced to 27 Months of Prison For Selling $700,000 Worth Of Illegally Copied Software

Friday, March 30th, 2007

One of the earliest types of activities I did with regard to compliance was a desktop computer-by-computer audit of a subsidiary that my employer at the time had just acquired. This was in the first half of the 1990’s. I found one licensed copy each of around 15 different software programs they used for business. I found anywhere from 25 to 150 copies of each of the software packages throughout the organization. At that time it was common for businesses to be unaware of software licensing requirements. However, I did find a few cases of folks who had actually tried to make a profit off the copies by selling them to friends.

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Government Compliance: FBI Director Says USA PATRIOT Act Doesn’t Need Changes; That FBI Is To Blame for Associated Problems

Tuesday, March 27th, 2007

Today U.S. FBI Director Robert Mueller appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and testified that there are no problems with the USA PATRIOT Act, but that the FBI did not implement the Act appropriately.

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Most U.S. Government Agencies Still Not E-FOIA Compliant 10 Years Following Enactment; Disregard for Laws Also Leads to Disregard for Security Requirements

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007

On March 12 the National Security Archive at George Washington University issued their report, “The Knight Open Government Survey 2007.”
Basically the study looked at how many of the 149 U.S. government agencies they surveyed were in compliance with the provisions of the Electronic Freedom of Information Act (EFOIA) here at the 10 year anniversary of the Act going into effect.

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Iowa Breach Notification Bill; Emphasizes Need for Documented Security Policies and Breach Plans & Establishes “Identity Theft Passport”

Tuesday, March 20th, 2007

An omnibus data security bill, H.F. 655 was introduced March 5 in the Iowa House by representatives Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D) and Paul Shomshor (D).

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Iowa Breach Notification Bill; Emphasizes Need for Documented Security Policies and Breach Plans & Establishes “Identity Theft Passport”

Tuesday, March 20th, 2007

An omnibus data security bill, H.F. 655 was introduced March 5 in the Iowa House by representatives Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D) and Paul Shomshor (D).

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Over 100 FACTA Lawsuits Filed in California Against Businesses Printing PII on Receipts; Are You In Compliance With All FACTA Requirements?

Monday, March 19th, 2007

I read with interest an article in today’s issue of the BNA Privacy and Security Law Report about over 100 lawsuits that have recently been filed within the California federal courts because of the amount of personally identifiable information (PII) that is printed on credit and debit card receipts.

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Over 100 FACTA Lawsuits Filed in California Against Businesses Printing PII on Receipts; Are You In Compliance With All FACTA Requirements?

Monday, March 19th, 2007

I read with interest an article in today’s issue of the BNA Privacy and Security Law Report about over 100 lawsuits that have recently been filed within the California federal courts because of the amount of personally identifiable information (PII) that is printed on credit and debit card receipts.

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Identity Theft Example: It’s Not All About Going On Spending Sprees; And A Really Bad Texas Bill

Monday, March 12th, 2007

In January I blogged about how at least 220 illegal immigrants working for Swift and Company were charged with identity theft.
As a follow-up to that story, last Friday the first of the convictions was handed down.

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USA PATRIOT Act: FBI Is Underreporting Their Use Of This Law To Order Businesses to Monitor Email, Phone Calls and Financial Information

Friday, March 9th, 2007

CNN reported today that a U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) audit finds the FBI is has not kept good track of how many times they have ordered businesses monitoring of emails, telephone records and financial information. The report has not yet been posted to the DoJ site but is supposed to be released sometime today.
According to the CNN report:

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