For some time now, we have been urging Chief Executive Officers to pay closer attention to the data security of their ERP software systems. Understandably, CIO’s and senior people in technology departments rate the issue as one of their biggest worries, but now comes word that Chief Financial Officers are becoming concerned about ERP data…
Much of the business world has been focusing on ensuring it is compliant with California’s tough Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) that took effect January 1, 2020. But far less attention has been paid to a second law enacted by the state legislature that came into force at the same time regulating the data security of…
For several years now, it’s been widely known how Google and Facebook abuse the privacy of users. Apple Inc. always insisted it was different. A recent ad proclaimed “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone” and CEO Tim Cook once boasted in a talk “We’re not Google.” It turns out that may not…
When a company decides to invest in or acquire another business, they do extensive checking into what precisely they are buying. This can range from counting the towels and silverware owned by a hotel chain to calculating the validity and future value of a customer list. Lawyers call this “due diligence” and it is an…
When the European Union’s General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) was written, it gave businesses some two years to adjust their systems so that they could comply with the GDPR’s complex rules. But when state legislators approved the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), companies were given just under a year to comply. Understandably, this is causing…
It seems that California opened the floodgates on privacy concerns when it passed a law with strict requirements on businesses that collect, use and sell data about people. Privacy and related laws have become hot talking points for politicians, business leaders, attorneys like me who do privacy and data security work for clients, and ordinary…
For all practical purposes, the new California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is the closest the U.S. will have to a national law governing data privacy until Congress takes action of its own. As a data security and privacy attorney, I was surprised at how easily the law passed the California state legislature and how quickly…
Illinois’ groundbreaking Biometric Information Privacy Act, called BIPA, just got a lot tougher thanks to the Illinois Supreme Court. While the court’s specific decision involves a teen entering an amusement park, it has widespread implications for every company in the state collecting, storing and using biometric data about employees and contractors. The 2008 BIPA law…
Hacking Your Kid’s Smart Toy! The New York Post quotes Marcus Harris on the hacking of smart toys made by CloudPets, noting it’s one of the first times a toy has been pulled from the shelves due to digital security concerns. Retailers will stop carrying the stuffed animals after the company exposed more than two…
Marcus Harris Interviewed by MarketWatch On CloudPets Hacking Potential When major retailers including Walmart and Amazon stopped selling CloudPets because of hacking concerns, Marcus Harris told MarketWatch it was a landmark decision because it was one of the first times a toy was removed from store shelves due to digital security worries. (see article here)