Information security analytics

A Review of the Types and Trends of Data Breaches Involving Financial Institutions August 28, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/articles.php?art_id=1730&pg=1 There have been 356 data breaches so far in 2009, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC). And 46 of those breaches have involved financial institutions - up from 34 at this same time last year.

BOCA RATON — The superstar clients of an exclusive private jet service may have had sensitive financial data stolen earlier this year by two company employees in Boca Raton who made off with client lists and banking information, police say. Boca Raton cops have arrested the two former employees of Halcyon Jets, a top-tier aircraft services broker that serves such A-listers as singer Kanye West, film director Spike Lee and basketball star Shaquille O'Neal.

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a final rule requiring certain Web-based businesses to notify consumers when the security of their electronic health information is breached.

On Tuesday evening more than 300 confidential Twitter documents and screenshots landed in our inbox. We said we were going to post a handful of them only, and we’ve spent much of the last 36 hours talking directly to Twitter about the right way to go about doing that. WeРІР‚в„ўll have more to say on that process in a couple of days.

The state of Indiana will soon require much more documentation to obtain a driver’s license or a state identification. The state says the measures are aimed at preventing identity theft, which victimizes millions of Americans each year. However, some are still fighting the new rules. They fear it will hamper a personРІР‚в„ўs ability to cast a ballot. If you want to renew your driverРІР‚в„ўs license in Indiana today, all you basically have to do is show your current license and youРІР‚в„ўre in.

LANSING -- Identity theft victims will be able to seek compensation for the time and effort it takes to clean up their damaged credit history if legislation proposed by a S.W. Michigan lawmaker becomes law. Representative Matt Lori (R-Constantine) says that the bill updates Michigan law by better defining what constitutes identity theft, and increasing the penalties. It also makes victims of identity theft eligible for restitution from the Michigan Crime Victim Compensation Fund.

On July 3, 2009, the German Federal Parliament passed comprehensive amend¬ments to the Federal Data Protection Act (the “Federal Act”). These amendments also passed the Federal Council on July 10, 2009, and the revised law will enter into force on September 1, 2009. The new amendments cover a range of data protection-related issues, including marketing, security breach notification, service provider contracts and protections for employee data. They also include new powers for data protection authorities and provide for increased fines for violations of data protection law provisions.

The recession, combined with new technology, is sparking new skirmishes between employers and employees over leaks of sensitive or confidential information. In recent months, Yahoo Inc. and several big law firms have been surprised by disclosures of pending layoffs or internal memos detailing cost cuts on blogs or Internet news sites. In Yahoo's case, its instructions to managers conducting layoffs -- "15 minutes maximum," "don't engage in small talk" -- were published by the blog Valleywag.com. Yahoo declined to comment.

Three HSBC firms have been fined more than £3m for failing to adequately protect customers' confidential details from being lost or stolen. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) said customer data had been lost in the post on two occasions. The firms concerned are HSBC Life UK, HSBC Actuaries and Consultants, and HSBC Insurance Brokers. HSBC said it regretted the breaches, adding that no customer had reported any loss from these failures.

Settlements have been reached between the Indiana Attorney General’s office and two pharmacy chains – CVS and Walgreens – to resolve data-breach complaints that customersРІР‚в„ў medical information was improperly discarded in trash bins outside pharmacy stores. The agreement comes as the Attorney General begins a new concerted effort geared to address the growing problem of identity theft.