I’ve included some news stories on DNA registries for newborns in the past, most recently involving a troubling situation in Texas. Here’s an overview of some of the controversies surrounding such databases, from Sarah McIntosh: Parents are expressing outrage after discovering through recent news reports that their newborns’ DNA has been stored or even turned…
Author: Dissent
Political Insider Delusions, the Legislature and an implanted microchip
Jim Galloway writes: We often say that insanity reigns at the state Capitol. But when we do, we do not literally accuse the people inside of letting their grip on reality slip. We simply mean that our ability to fathom their motives, or their ability to express them, has fallen short. Referring to a politician…
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Charges Belarusian Creator of International Identity Theft Website
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Joseph M. Demarest, Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the FBI, announced today the unsealing of an indictment against Dmitry M. Naskovets—creator and operator of CallService.biz, an online business that assisted over 2,000 identity thieves in over…
Blood Bank's computer stolen
Jim Mendoza reports: Honolulu police are on the lookout for thieves who stole a laptop computer from the Blood Bank of Hawaii that held personal information on nearly 40,000 deferred donors. The crime happened on March 29 at the organization’s Dillingham Donor Center. […] Information stored in one of the laptops included donors’ names, birth…
Rep. Susan Davis Recognizes Jay and Linda Foley for their Fight against ID Theft
Kudos to Linda and Jay for this well-deserved recognition: Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) recognized San Diegans Jay and Linda Foley, founders of the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), for their fight against identity theft. In a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol, the Foleys were presented with the Suzanne McDaniel Public Awareness Award by the…
Scientists work to keep hackers out of implanted medical devices
John Sutter reports: Nathanael Paul likes the convenience of the insulin pump that regulates his diabetes. It communicates with other gadgets wirelessly and adjusts his blood sugar levels automatically. But, a few years ago, the computer scientist started to worry about the security of this setup. What if someone hacked into that system and sent…