Category Archives: private corporations

+1 Kid Toy Hacked. Hello Data Security Law Fix.

What screams fix cybersecurity laws? A breach of a voice recording teddy bear

What’s the issue that would be addresed in legislation?  The Teddy Bear company stored customer data and information on a public database that required no authentication. 

What does no authentication mean? No security protocols, no passwords, no limited IP addresses etc… It’d be like leaving your credit card statement on a public park bench.

TechHive | Smart teddy bears for kids suffer a contentious data breach

F…

TREND. Data Protections for Home Devices. Warrant or no Warrant.

Alexa, the Amazon product, home guru records voices. 

Alexa also records suspected murderers, at least it did in Arkansas. 

What kind of protection is Amazon seeking for the Alexa recordings? 

  • Until law enforcement creates a compelling enough case, no Alexa recordings
  • Amazon wants prosecutors to “prove the data isn’t available anywhere else and that it’s sufficiently related to the subject of the investigation”

Next step: Legislative fixes

The Verge | Amazon says Alexa’s speech is…

Public-Private Partnership to Improve State CyberSecurity Training. Improve Student Cybersecurity

The Public Private Partnership: Virginia and Amazon

The role of Amazon: to support scalable cloud infrastructure and collaborate on cybersecurity educational efforts 

How far down the state employee food chain will education go? The partnership will also help educate teachers with cybersecurity courseware

Governor Terry McAuliffe | Governor McAuliffe Announces New Strategic Relationship With Amazon Web Services to Expand Cybersecurity Education  

National Governor Association Details State Role in Cyber & Data Security

The Chair of the National Governor’s Association lays out 3 ways states can tackle data and cyber security:

  • share disruption response plans
  • establish cybersecurity operations centers
  • convening cooperation among public safety agencies, the National Guard, and private partners.

3 States with model public-private partnerships, task forces, and cybersecurity commissions:

  • California
  • Indiana
  • Virginia
 

3 Reasons New Laws Needed for Cloud Data

A lawyer for Google says new laws are needed to cover data stored on the cloud for these reasons:

  • Clear guidance for law enforcement and corporations
  • Takes corporations out of the untenable position of being in the middle between customer privacy and law enforcement
  • Laws crafted before cloud storage are not keeping up. Cloud data can’t be treated like paper documents

The Recorder | Google Lawyer Says New Laws Needed to Govern Cloud Data

Regulatory Trend. Fining Companies That Track Your Electronics without Notice.

The Company: Vizio 

The privacy breach:  installed software in televisions that recorded consumers tv habits

The regulatory enforcement: Federal Trade Commission and the New Jersey Attorney General

The fine: $2.2 million + must delete customer data by March

Engadget | Vizio tracked and sold your TV viewing habits without consent (updated)

Lege Trend: State Agency on CyberSecurity. +1 More Western State.

Add Nevada to the list of states moving to create an Office of Cyber Defense. Governor Sandoval proposes funding it with $3.5 million.

The Office of Syber Defense will be within the Nevada Department of Public Safety and will offer assistance to local government agencies and private industry.

Las Vegas Review Journal | Marijuana, cybersecurity among debates to happen in Nevada Legislature

Data Breach Legislation & Regs. Carrot & the Stick. The Stats & The Regs.

What do you need to know about data breaches?

The carrot & the stick:

  • Increase the accountability of entities that hold data
  • By requiring the entities to shoulder more of the cost of a breach
  • Allow these entities to offer “credible security signals to the market” to provide a benefit to the entity

Tech Crunch | The carrot and stick of data breaches

Holiday Gifts = Data Security Threat. Welcome to legislating gift giving.

The gift: talking dolls

The data security threat: The dolls record, without consent, children’s voices and saves the voices.

The laws and rules at issue both federal and state: Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Federally enforced by the FTC, and by the AG in Texas. 

Wallstreet Journal | Talking Dolls Pose Privacy Risk to Children, Advocacy Groups Allege