DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Vermont Attorney General Enters Unique Data Security Settlement With Software Developer

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Dissent

October 12, 2016

In a settlement announced today, software company Entrinsik agreed to provide better warnings after a Vermont college experienced a security breach that potentially exposed 14,000 social security numbers due to the ordinary use of its reporting tool. Because the Attorney General believes that the software practice involved is widespread and many companies may not even realize that this practice could violate State law, no monetary penalty was imposed. Entrinsik, however, agreed to highlight the issue for Vermont consumers through the use of warnings and dialogue boxes that adequately alert users and IT staff to the software vulnerability.

“We take the privacy of our citizens seriously and are pleased that Entrinsik worked cooperatively with our Office to fashion a solution to this problem,” said Attorney General Bill Sorrell. “This settlement is a warning to companies whose software introduces similar vulnerabilities.”

The reporting tool, known as Entrinsik Informer, runs through a browser such as Internet Explorer. When a user exports a report using Informer, the application draws on browser functionality which sometimes creates two files – the expected export file, and a separate, plain-text, file, which is stored in a temporary or Downloads directory but is not automatically erased. The user, the business, and the IT staff often are unaware of this second file, so while the business may be taking reasonable steps to protect its data security, this unexpected “temporary” file slips through the business’s defenses.

Vermont law requires businesses to take reasonable steps to protect their customers’ data, and allows them to rely on a reputable vendor for software. When that software introduces security vulnerabilities, even if it’s only through reliance on how another product operates, the creator of the software must either eliminate the vulnerability or, if that is not possible, warn their business customers of the specific issues so that they can protect themselves. “We hope that other software companies will, like Entrinsik, recognize that they must take responsibility for how their software operates, even if it relies on functionality from a different product like a web browser, and take proactive steps to address the issue,” said Sorrell. “While we did not think a penalty was appropriate in this instance, now that the industry has been warned we probably won’t treat the next incident the same way.”

More information about the Attorney General Sorrell’s efforts to protect consumers and address data breaches can be found at http://ago.vermont.gov/focus/consumer-info/privacy-and-data-security1.php.

SOURCE: Vermont Attorney General’s Office

No related posts.

Category: Business SectorExposure

Post navigation

← Leaked Data Site Datawh0re hacked, All Dump links Exposed
Almost 6,000 online shops hit by hackers →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud
  • Swiss Health Foundation Radix Hit by Cyberattack Affecting Federal Data
  • Russian hackers get 7 and 5 years in prison for large-scale cyber attacks with ransomware, over 60 million euros in bitcoins seized
  • Bolton Walk-In Clinic patient data leak locked down (finally!)
  • 50 Customers of French Bank Hit by Insider SIM Swap Scam
  • Ontario health agency atHome ordered to inform 200,000 patients of March data breach
  • Fact-Checking Claims By Cybernews: The 16 Billion Record Data Breach That Wasn’t
  • Horizon Healthcare RCM discloses ransomware attack in December
  • Disgruntled IT Worker Jailed for Cyber Attack, Huddersfield
  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • The Trump administration is building a national citizenship data system
  • Supreme Court Decision on Age Verification Tramples Free Speech and Undermines Privacy
  • New Jersey Issues Draft Privacy Regulations: The New
  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report
  • Germany Wants Apple, Google to Remove DeepSeek From Their App Stores
  • Supreme Court upholds Texas law requiring age verification on porn sites
  • Justices nix Medicaid ‘right’ to choose doctor, defunding Planned Parenthood in South Carolina

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.