Erik Larson reports: A Latvian hacker pleaded guilty in New York to helping develop a virus that infected more than a million computers worldwide, tricking online banking customers into revealing passwords and other security information. Deniss Calovskis, 30, faces as long as two years in prison under a plea deal reached with U.S. prosecutors after being extradited…
Category: Of Note
How Encryption Can Help Protect Your Personal Information
Commissioner Terrell McSweeny of the FTC writes: High profile car hacks, large-scale breaches of intimate information, news of compromised household appliances — hardly a day passes without some revelation of the ways in which our increasing interconnectedness is introducing new vulnerabilities into our lives. Technology is advancing at a rapid clip, and so are breaches….
Even encrypted medical record databases leak information
Jeremy Kirk reports: A new study from Microsoft researchers warns that many types of databases used for electronic medical records are vulnerable to leaking information despite the use of encryption. The paper, due to be presented at the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security next month, shows how sensitive medical information on patients could be…
Calif. Jury Clears UCLA In $1.25M Medical Data Breach Suit
Bonnie Eslinger reports: The University of California, Los Angeles Health System was not responsible for the unauthorized release of a woman’s medical records by a romantic rival, a California jury decided Thursday, rejecting her lawyer’s arguments that the victim was due $1.25 million for emotional harm caused by the breach. Read more on Law360 (subscription…
Cancer Care Group settles HHS charges over “widespread noncompliance” with HIPAA Security Rule; $750,000 fine and corrective action plan
In August 2012, I noted a breach involving the theft of backup media from an unattended vehicle of a Cancer Care Group employee. The backup contained information on 55,000 patients and employees. Now, more than three years later, HHS has announced a settlement with CCG over the breach. As seems to be their style, they…
Meanwhile, back at the OPM breach….
Victims of the breach still have not been notified. OPM will start sending postal laters “later this month.” The government will spend $133 million on identity theft protection services. With options, it could go up to $330 million. ID Experts (Identity Theft Guard Solutions LLC) got the gig to provide the service, which will provide…