Dom Nicastro reports: HHS’ “harm threshold” standard in its interim final rule on breach notification will prevent healthcare organizations from overwhelming patients with unnecessary breach notification responses, according to providers who work with privacy and security. At the 18th annual National HIPAA Summit Friday, Judi Hofman, CAP, CHP, CHSS, privacy/information security officer for Cascade Healthcare…
Author: Dissent
Liechtenstein bank owes tax dodger damages, court rules
A German tax dodger has won millions in damages in a suit against his Liechtenstein bank for failing to reveal that his information was stolen along with hundreds of other account holders and sold to Berlin for a criminal investigation. The case against LGT Treuhand, a former subsidiary of the LGT Group, was decided in…
IA: Security breaches of state computer systems in recent years
A number of news sources in Iowa are considering the state’s plans to consolidate its computer systems in light of the recent hack involving the state racing and gaming commission. A listing of 10 breaches involving state computers can be found here. Eight of the 10 breaches are from the education sector.
AU: Extorted companies silent on stolen data
Darren Pauli reports: Desperate companies are buying off data thieves and extortionists to recover stolen data, according to experts. They claim it is “common” for some businesses operating in Australia to pay ransoms to hackers and disgruntled employees to re-secure sensitive information or prevent illicit corporate activities from becoming public. Law firm MMLC Group managing…
Shell employee contact data breach affects over 100,000
The following was posted by John Donavan and attributed to Royal Dutch Shell (“Shell”) Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer Richard Wiseman: Colleagues, I am writing to inform you of an incident involving misuse of company data. It has become clear recently that the Global Address List, containing contact information of everyone in Shell and some…
UK: Fears of ID fraud after Revenue data error
Nicola Hodges reports: Revenue & Customs has sent the names, addresses and National Insurance numbers of 2,200 claimants to the wrong people in the latest Government data bungle. The blunder involves child benefit letters to families whose children are 16, asking them to confirm that the youngsters are still studying. But some letters have contained…