It’s National Cybersecurity Month. But Before You Start Celebrating…
Is it mere coincidence that National Cyber Security Awareness Month falls on the same month as Halloween?
Entirely possible, because for the Department of Homeland Security, cyberattacks are one of the scariest threats we face:
“The nation’s critical infrastructure relies heavily on the Internet for everything from submitting taxes, to applying for student loans, to following traffic signals, to even powering our homes…
[C]ybersecurity [is] one of our country’s most important national security priorities.”
We’re happy to do our patriotic part with this roundup of recent posts we’ve published on various cybersecurity-related issues. From the nation’s leading lawyers and for your reference:
- Senator Rockefeller to Fortune 500 CEOs: What’s In Your Cybersecurity Plan?
“Earlier this month, Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV took his fight for greater cybersecurity preparedness directly to Corporate America.
Senator Rockefeller is Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and one of the sponsors of the failed Cybersecurity Act of 2012. He’s also the author of a recent letter urging President Obama to issue an executive order on cybersecurity.” Read on»
- Small Businesses Also Need Data Breach Protection – and Insurance When It Fails
“Corporate data breaches are becoming more common, but small businesses often don’t think it’s their problem. And that could come back to bite them. From law firm Jaburg Wilk:
‘There are numerous news reports of data and security breaches where customers’ personal information, including social security numbers, credit cards numbers and health information have been compromised… Many smaller companies perceive that they are not at risk for a data breach. However, that may prove to be untrue and very costly.’” Read on»
- Cybersecurity Act Fails in Senate
Earlier this month, the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 – intended to “enhance the security and resiliency of the cyber and communications infrastructure of the United States” according to its sponsors – failed to pass the U.S. Senate.
And, as law firm Mintz Levin reports, ‘It is unlikely that cybersecurity legislation will reappear before the election.’” Read on»
- CISPA Would Allow Government to Monitor Personal Internet Use
“On April 26, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011 (CISPA) was approved by the House of Representatives.
The bill is intended to help federal authorities investigate and fight cyber threats. It has significant support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as well as corporations that could be targets of cyber terrorism.” Read on»
- CISPA Passes House in Surprise Vote
This just in: the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) was voted in by the House of Representatives yesterday. From Forbes:
‘In an earlier-than-expected vote Thursday evening, the House of Representatives voted 248 to 168 in favor of the bill, which was originally designed to allow more sharing of cybersecurity threat information with government agencies.’” Read on»
- Cybersecurity Concerns? You Might Consider Cyber Insurance
“Cyber Insurance: Now there’s a phrase that defines the age in which we work and play. But what is cyber insurance, exactly? Who needs it? What protections does it provide?
Great questions. For your reference, global law firm Pillsbury has the answers…” Read on»
- It’s Cyber Week: Do You Know What Your Lawmakers Are Doing?
“It’s Cyber Week in the House of Representatives, where four separate cybersecurity bills are up for a vote.
At the top of the list: the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which critics say would allow the federal government to spy on social media and email accounts of Americans in the name of national security.” Read on»
- SEC Guidance on Disclosing Cybersecurity Risks
“For public companies, disclosing risks to comply with Securities and Exchange Commission reporting requirements is nothing new. But disclosing cybersecurity risks might be. In anticipation of this year’s annual reporting season, here is a brief Q&A on SEC rules for reporting cyber risks and incidents in company filings…” Read on»
- Cloud Computing and Security: Know Your Risks Before You Jump In
“’The FBI ranks cyber-attacks as the third greatest threat currently facing the United States, eclipsed only by nuclear warfare and other weapons of mass destruction. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse 500 million sensitive records have been compromised since 2005…”
Yes, cloud computing can be scary. But it doesn’t have to be dangerous. Here are five tips to help ameliorate the risks of cloud computing…” Read on»
- SEC to Public Companies: Disclose Your Cyber Risks
“’For a number of years, [public companies] have migrated toward increasing dependence on digital technologies to conduct their operations. As this dependence has increased, the risks associated with cybersecurity have also increased, resulting in more frequent and severe cyber incidents…’
We’re seeing growing interest in the guidance issued October 13 by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporate Finance directing public companies to disclose cybersecurity risks and incidents to investors…” Read on»
- Data Breach! Who’s Liable? What Next? (A Tech Law Reader)
“Your company’s data is in the cloud – including vital employee, investor, and customer information – and so when it comes to data breaches, you don’t want to keep your head in the clouds, too. And so, from law firms on JD Supra, a collection of recent articles and updates on Data Breaches – what the law says today; a look at potential impending legislation; and practical tips on what to do when your company experiences a breach.” Read on»
- Once More Into The (Data) Breach
“Data breaches are on the rise, and the numbers are staggering:
‘According to Symantec, approximately 1.1 million identities were stolen per data breach on average in 2011, and hacking incidents exposed 187 million identities in 2011 — the largest number for any type of data breach in 2011…’” Read on»
- Medicine is Mobile. What Does That Mean for Security?
“’New medicine is mobile, miniature and you can play angry birds on it. But what does that mean for security and privacy?’ (Jo Ellen Whitney of law firm Davis Brown)
The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) received a $1.5 million lesson in HIPAA and mobile device security earlier this month. Not because MEEI lost patient protected health information (which it did), but because it did not have adequate protections in place for mobile devices.” Read on»
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