A recent press release and open letter from Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites induces a rant. I’m working on my taxes and thought I’d send this notification off to the I.R.S.: To valued I.R.S. employees: I wish to inform you of possible income earned involving my private practice. At some point during the period April…
UK Commons committee rejects six-year DNA records plan
Alan Travis reports: Government proposals to keep the DNA profiles of innocent people for up to six years have been rejected by the Commons home affairs select committee. The MPs’ report, published in advance of a key Commons vote on DNA, says they are not convinced that such a long retention period will lead to…
Local govt computers at risk in Japan
Computer servers operated by a number of local governments are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, with some local entities failing to take countermeasures, according to an internal document of a government-affiliated organization. The Local Authorities Systems Development Center document showed that servers managed by at least 193 local entities, which include prefectural and municipal governments and possibly…
Cybersecurity: Progress Made but Challenges Remain in Defining and Coordinating the Comprehensive National Initiative
Cybersecurity: Progress Made but Challenges Remain in Defining and Coordinating the Comprehensive National Initiative GAO-10-338 March 5, 2010 Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 64 pages) Recommendations (HTML) Summary: In response to the ongoing threats to federal systems and operations posed by cyber attacks, President Bush established the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI) in…
Report confirms private banking websites are flouting client privacy
Tara Loader Wilkinson reports: According to a report published by Swiss research group MyPrivateBanking last week, 61% of banks do not offer secure web messaging. And nearly 60% do not give privacy warnings to users of their website about sending unprotected e-mails to recipients at the bank. […] More than half of banks offered a…
Feds indict couple again in theft, sale of patients’ data
Jay Weaver reports: Last year, they were charged with running a racket to pilfer patient records from Jackson Memorial Hospital to sell to lawyers for personal-injury claims. Now Ruben E. Rodriguez and wife Maria Victoria Suarez have been indicted again for paying an ambulance-company employee to steal information on patients transported to Miami-Dade hospitals and…