We previously commented on the risks around the United State Postal Service’s (USPS) “Informed Visibility” service, which allows customers to preview their mail to inform them when it will be delivered....more
Some analysts have predicted that by 2020, there will be 20 billion Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices worldwide, which could grow to over 80 billion by 2025. Global sales of IoT devices were $80 billion in 2017, and...more
12/3/2018
/ Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Drones ,
FSB ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HIPAA Breach ,
Identity Theft ,
Internet of Things ,
IRS ,
OCR ,
Tax Scams ,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ,
Vendors
Atrium Health and its vendor AccuDoc Solutions have released a joint announcement this week that AccuDoc’s database of 2.6 million billing records of Atrium Health’s patients has been compromised by a hacking incident....more
12/3/2018
/ Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Protection ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Hackers ,
Healthcare ,
Identity Theft ,
Information Technology ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Social Security Numbers
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a warning to consumers about an email that looks like it is from “IRS Online.” The email is designed to get the recipient to click on an attachment that is labeled “Tax Account...more
According to reports by WhoWhatWhy and the Associated Press, five security experts have confirmed a private citizen’s allegation that the Georgia Online Voter Database contains a major security flaw and is vulnerable to...more
11/12/2018
/ Commercial Use ,
Credit Cards ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Data Breach ,
Databases ,
Drones ,
HIPAA Breach ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Identity Theft ,
Kenya ,
Phishing Scams ,
USPS ,
Vulnerability Assessments
The United State Postal Service (USPS) launched a program called “Informed Delivery” with the goal to assist consumers in protecting themselves from identity theft. ...more
We have frequently reported about how devastating and widespread tax fraud is in the U.S.—in the past affecting hundreds of thousands of U.S. tax payers. Income tax preparers are at risk for cyber intrusions because they hold...more
7/5/2018
/ Amended Legislation ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Data Protection ,
Hackers ,
Identity Theft ,
Income Taxes ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
State Data Breach Notification Statutes ,
Tax Fraud ,
Tax Preparers ,
Tax Returns
Ticketmaster has reported that it has “identified malicious software on a customer support product hosted by Inbenta Technologies, an external third-party supplier to Ticketmaster.”...more
Just weeks after Mexico’s central bank was targeted by hackers who stole $15 million, Chile’s biggest bank, Banco de Chile, announced on May 28, 2018, that it had been struck by a “virus” that affected its workstations,...more
7/2/2018
/ Banks ,
Carpenter v US ,
Cell Phones ,
Credit Reporting Agencies ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Currency Exchange ,
Data Breach ,
Drones ,
Electronic Records ,
Electronically Stored Information ,
Exigent Circumstances ,
Fourth Amendment ,
Geolocation ,
Hackers ,
Harassment ,
Identity Theft ,
Location Data ,
location-da ,
Malware ,
NYDFS ,
Probable Cause ,
Reasonable Expectation of Privacy ,
Registration Requirement ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Robocalling ,
SCOTUS ,
Third-Party ,
Warrantless Searches
Update on Removing Your name from Offers of Credit or Insurance and Access to Disclosure Report from NCTUE
Last week’s Privacy Tip touched a nerve with many readers and I received numerous comments and thank you’s from...more
AICPA Survey Shows U.S. Adults Worried About Identity Theft and Financial Fraud and Concerned Businesses Can’t Protect Their Data -
A new Harris Poll for the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), which called 1,006 U.S....more
5/11/2018
/ China ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Drones ,
Emergency Response ,
Identity Theft ,
Mental Health ,
SAMHSA ,
Telecommunications ,
ZTE
Just when I thought I had frozen all of my credit, and was doing everything I can to protect myself from identity theft and fraud, I find out today about another one from KrebsOnSecurity....more
A new Harris Poll for the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA), which called 1006 U.S. adults for the report, shows interesting statistics regarding American adults’ attitudes and fears about identity theft and financial loss...more
5/10/2018
/ Cyber Attacks ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Financial Fraud ,
Hackers ,
Identity Theft ,
Information Technology ,
Malware ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Phishing Scams ,
Popular ,
Ransomware ,
Risk Management
Power Company Fined for Contractor Copying Data to its Own Insecure Network -
Vendor management continues to be a problem for all industries, but some are scarier than others. The North American Electric Reliability Corp....more
3/30/2018
/ Asset Management ,
Cloud Storage ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Driverless Cars ,
Drones ,
Electronically Stored Information ,
Energy Sector ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
FERC ,
Fraud ,
Identity Theft ,
Infrastructure ,
NERC ,
NIST ,
Part 107 ,
Popular ,
Social Security ,
State Data Breach Notification Statutes ,
Third-Party Service Provider ,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ,
Utilities Sector ,
Vulnerability Assessments
As our readers know, I am particularly interested in protecting our seniors from fraud. They continue to be a vulnerable population and unfortunately, here is another scam that makes me mad: social security fraud....more
I was so honored to be a presenter at the Bryant Women’s Summit last week. It is always an incredible event and I enjoy attending every year. ...more
In a recent Public Service Announcement dated February 21, 2018 entitled “Increase in W-2 Phishing Campaigns,” the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) issued another alert about an increase in phishing campaigns since the...more
3/12/2018
/ Cyber Crimes ,
Email ,
FBI ,
Identity Theft ,
Income Taxes ,
IRS ,
Payroll Records ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Phishing Scams ,
Social Security Numbers ,
Tax Fraud ,
Tax Planning ,
Tax Returns ,
W-2
This writer has been lamenting for years about the fact that Medicare recipients’ Social Security numbers are included on the face of the card. This is an unnecessary risk posed to Medicare recipients, which are primarily...more
A new report issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF) called “Global Risks Report 2018,” lists the threat of cyber-warfare and cyber-attacks affecting the public as the world’s third greatest threat in 2018, only behind...more
1/26/2018
/ Android ,
Blockchain ,
Class Action ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Protection ,
Digital Currency ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Drones ,
Farms ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Google ,
Identity Theft ,
International Data Transfers ,
Personal Data ,
Smartphones ,
Tax Fraud ,
Technology Sector ,
Tracking Systems ,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Who knew—but yes, next week is Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. How sad is it that we have to have a week devoted to education and awareness on this topic?
...more
It’s the start of tax season, and many employers are sending W-2 forms to employees so they can get ready to file their tax returns.
As was true over the past few years, this is not only the busy season for tax preparers,...more
1/5/2018
/ Cyber Crimes ,
Email ,
Identity Theft ,
Income Taxes ,
IRS ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Phishing Scams ,
Popular ,
Tax Fraud ,
Tax Returns ,
W-2
Now is the Busy Season for Cyber Criminals Posing as Executives to Obtain W-2s -
It’s the start of tax season, and many employers are sending W-2 forms to employees so they can get ready to file their tax returns. As was...more
1/4/2018
/ Ancestry.com ,
Charitable Donations ,
Children's Toys ,
Connected Items ,
Data Breach ,
Data Protection ,
Drones ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Identity Theft ,
Income Taxes ,
IRS ,
Lenovo ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Scams ,
Settlement ,
Software ,
Tax Fraud ,
W-2
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), one of the watchdogs of the financial services industry, has announced through Acting Director Mick Mulvaney that it will no longer collect personal information of consumers...more
12/8/2017
/ Carpenter v US ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Darknet ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Drones ,
Emergency Response ,
FCC ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Fourth Amendment ,
Identity Theft ,
Internet ,
Location Data ,
Net Neutrality ,
NYDFS ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Popular ,
Risk Management ,
SCOTUS ,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
People always ask me what hackers do when they are able to obtain our personal information, including our Social Security numbers. There are many things hackers use our information for, some of which include filing false tax...more
I just read an article about a nurse from Florida who was convicted of wire fraud, theft of government funds, possession of unauthorized access devices and aggravated identity theft....more