Written by Adam Veness After Target Corporation’s (NYSE: TGT) net earnings dropped 46% in its fourth quarter compared to the same period last year, Target finally answered the 441 million dollar question – To 8-K, or not to 8-K? Target filed its much anticipated Current Report on Form 8-K on February 26th, just over two… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Privacy Monday – February 24, 2014
Posted in Cybersecurity, Data Breach, Privacy MondayOn this Privacy Monday: US Attorney General Puts Pressure on Congress for Data Breach Disclosures Today, US Attorney General Eric Holder urged Congress to pass legislation requiring retailers to make significant customer data breaches known in a timely manner. This push follows Congressional hearings where members of Congress expressed dismay over the Target and Neiman… Continue Reading
“Sophisticated” Breach Exposes 300,000 Student Records at University of Maryland: 3 Questions You Should Ask
Posted in Cybersecurity, Data Breach, Data Breach NotificationOfficials at the University of Maryland (“University” or “UMD”) announced that UMD was the victim of a significant security breach that took place on Tuesday, February 18 (the “Breach” or “Incident”). The Incident, characterized as a “sophisticated computer security attack” by both the University’s President and the Chief Information Officer, exposed records containing the… Continue Reading
Complaint from BBB Triggers HarperCollins COPPA-Compliance Measures
Posted in Children, Data Compliance & Security, Online AdvertisingWritten by Julia Siripurapu The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) announced (press release) that it has recommended that HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. (the “Company”) modify its information collection practices on its Ruby Redfort child-directed website (the “Site”) to better protect the privacy of children under 13 (“Children”) and that the Company has agreed to do so…. Continue Reading
FTC Approves Another COPPA Safe Harbor Program
Posted in Children, Federal Trade Commission, Privacy RegulationWritten by Julia Siripurapu The FTC has announced its unanimous approval for the kidSAFE Seal Program proposed by Samet Privacy, LLC under the “safe harbor” provision of the COPPA Rule (the “kidSAFE Seal Program”). The Commission’s decision comes after an extended public comment period due to the agency’s shutdown last year. For more information regarding… Continue Reading
New Payment Card Technology Finally Coming to US? Target Takes the Lead
Posted in Data BreachWritten by Adam Veness In the wake of the recent massive data breaches suffered by Target and Neiman Marcus, many banks and retailers have renewed the call for a change in the way that consumers in the United States pay for goods and services. Credit and debit cards in the United States generally use magnetic… Continue Reading
NIST Framework for Critical Infrastructure Released
Posted in CybersecurityThe release yesterday of the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity by the National Institute of Standards and Technology caps a year-long effort by NIST to find an industry consensus for assessing and improving the cybersecurity of the nation’s privately-owned critical infrastructure. We will be publishing a more detailed analysis of the final Framework in… Continue Reading
Congress Moves Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Bill
Posted in Cybersecurity, LegislationOn Wednesday, the House Homeland Security Committee passed a substitute bill for H.R. 3696, the National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2013. The committee substitute bill was broadly supported by both parties. As it presently stands, H.R. 3696 delegates to the Department of Homeland Security the responsibility for civilian cybersecurity research and development, incident detection… Continue Reading
California Moves to Restrict Collection of Consumer Personal Information Online: the Process, History and Politics Behind Senate Bill 383
Posted in Data Compliance & Security, Legislation, Privacy Litigation, Privacy RegulationWritten by Jake Romero The California Senate has passed a bill restricting the information that certain online retailers can collect in connection with consumer purchases. Senate Bill 383 would amend Sections 1747.02 and 1747.08 of the California Civil Code to address the collection of customer information in connection with credit card purchases in online transactions… Continue Reading
Federal Data Security Breach Notification – is 2014 the Year?
Posted in Data Breach Notification, Privacy RegulationWritten by Amy Malone Data privacy legislation has been introduced regularly, but has yet to pass, could this be the year? The recent breaches at Target and Neiman Marcus (see our posts here, here, here) have drawn national attention and may be the impetus needed to pass the legislation. Currently two bills addressing data breaches… Continue Reading
