More entities are falling prey to SamSam ransomware. Hannah Grover reports: The city of Farmington is returning to normal after a variant of the ransomware known as SamSam shut down the computer systems. The virus encrypts files on a computer network or locks down the entire system. When people attempt to log on, they receive…
Category: U.S.
New York State Education Department Announces Breach of Data Held by Vendor Questar
Jan. 18 -State Education Department Announces Breach of Data Held by Vendor Questar The State Education Department’s grades 3-8 assessment vendor, Questar Assessment, Inc., experienced a data breach affecting a small number of students registered for computer-based testing (CBT) in spring 2017, Commissioner MaryEllen Elia announced today. Questar reported that its preliminary analysis shows 52…
Aetna Customers Get $17 Million In HIV Privacy settlement
WTVA reports: After thousands of customers’ HIV statuses were revealed in mailings last year, a federal class-action lawsuit against health care company Aetna has reached a $17 million settlement. The lawsuit was filed in August after some 12,000 Aetna customers nationwide received letters mailed in July that accidentally revealed their HIV status through the windows…
Arizona Legislature Considers Strengthening Data Breach Notification Law
John G. Kerkorian, David M. Stauss, Gregory P. Szewczyk, and Kimberly A. Warshawsky of Ballard Spahr write: The Arizona State Legislature is considering proposed legislation that, if enacted, would significantly change the requirements for how Arizona entities respond to data breaches. Under Arizona’s existing breach notification law, entities that conduct business in the state and own or license computerized…
UT: Bored student hacks into Taylorsville High School system
Marcos Ortiz reports: A teen claimed boredom caused him to hack into a school’s computer network. It happened during last year’s school year at Taylorsville High School. But the case was recently unsealed by a judge. The 18-year-old who doesn’t want his name disclosed said he has not been charged with a crime but has been told…
Computer discovered stolen from Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge
Jennifer Johnson reports: Park Ridge police are investigating how a computer belonging to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital ended up in the possession of a man claiming to reside in the Philippines, authorities said. The desktop computer was reported stolen Jan. 8 after a man reportedly contacted the hospital to say he bought a computer that…