David Harper reports: A California man has been sentenced in Tulsa to seven years in prison for an interstate credit-card fraud conspiracy that involved more than $100,000 and victimized 18 financial institutions ranging from Merrill Lynch to the Bank of Hawaii. Jonathan Edward Vergnetti, 39, also was ordered by U.S. District Judge James Payne this…
Author: Dissent
Israeli parents ask court to allow use of dead son's sperm
A case in Israel is raising significant ethical and legal issues. Tomer Zarchin reports on Haaretz.com: Parents who contributed the organs of their dead son are now demanding to use his sperm to bring a child to the world. “If we were entitled to donate the organs of our son why are we not entitled…
OR: Payroll data on 550 DOC employees found on thumb drive in Madras
Dennis Thompson Jr. reports: A thumb drive turned up in Madras containing confidential payroll information for nearly 550 Oregon Department of Corrections employees — a security breach that potentially affects as many as one in 10 DOC employees. A member of the public who came into possession of the flash drive notified the agency on…
UK: Labour forum leaks email addresses
John Leyden reports: Basic design flaws on a Labour party members forum exposed the email addresses of users to harvesting. Surfers who register through the site http://members.labour.org.uk were invited to confirm their membership, and activate their account, by clicking on the link in an email sent to a specified account. The email follows the form…
Starbucks’ iPhone barcode app easily scammed by screengrab
Bill Ray reports: Someone has noticed that the Starbucks’ iPhone application can be copied with a screen grab from a neglected handset, enabling the thief to gorge themselves on free coffee. The payment system relies on reading a bar code from the iPhone’s screen, identifying the customer and debiting their account. But the barcode doesn’t…
UK: NHS research system could breach patient confidentiality
The same issues raised in the U.S. about meaningful use, anonymization and the risk of identification are being raised in the UK, it seems. Kathleen Hall reports: Medical experts have hit out against an NHS computer system which gives researchers access to patient information without their consent. The Secondary Uses Service (SUS) system gives commercial and…