Cybersecurity

Hackers may have accessed records of 4 million federal workers; was China responsible?

A December hack attack that may have originated in China compromised the personal data of up to 4 million current and former federal employees in one of the largest thefts of government data ever reported. Federal officials confirmed the security breach, which was discovered in April, and said the FBI…

Jun 5, 2015 8:55 AM CDT

‘Ransomware’ software attacks stymie law firms

In the annals of Internet crime, “ransomware”—software that freezes up a computer, encrypts all its data and demands a ransom for the system’s restoration—is especially malicious. And attorneys are among the targets. David J. Bilinsky, adviser and staff lawyer at the Law Society of British Columbia, says one of its…

Jun 1, 2015 2:30 AM CDT

IRS tax records for 100,000 people accessed by third parties who knew what personal info to plug in

The Internal Revenue Service has temporarily shut down a service that allowed individuals to access their own tax-return information for former years online. That’s because third parties who knew what personal information to plug in used the IRS webpage to access tax records for over 100,000 people between February and…

May 26, 2015 4:25 PM CDT

Did passenger control plane by hacking into its computer? FBI probes Twitter claims

A cybersecurity consultant who claims he hacked onto airline computer systems while on board as a passenger and once briefly controlled a plane is being investigated by the FBI. Federal court documents say Twitter posts by Chris Roberts alerted the authorities to his claimed ability to hack into the onboard…

May 19, 2015 1:10 PM CDT

Sales exec claims she was fired for removing app that allowed boss to track her 24/7

A sales executive in Bakersfield, California, claims she was fired because she removed an app from her company-issued cellphone that allowed her boss to track her location 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The May 5 suit (PDF) by Myrna Arias claims her boss at Intermex Wire Transfer…

May 13, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

Techshow’s ‘60 Sites’ highlight: Glitter revenge?

A more efficient way to compare and buy airline tickets. Several ways to test the strength of your password. A website where you can watch the best television programs from the 1980s. And glitter? Those were only a few of the many websites recommended by five person panel during the…

Apr 18, 2015 5:09 PM CDT

Manage your law office technology so it doesn’t manage you

Like it or not, technology is a necessary part of a modern law practice. In fact, it may be the most important part of a practice outside of lawyers themselves. So what technology should you buy? When should you buy it? How can you successfully integrate it into your practice,…

Apr 16, 2015 12:11 PM CDT

Health data isn’t secure; ‘antiquated’ HIPAA needs to regulate Facebook and Google, experts say

Millions of patient medical records are being breached because of inadequate security measures, says a Journal of the American Medical Association study of government records published on Tuesday. Frequent problems included outright theft of records and health companies relying on third parties to safeguard patient information, reports the Los Angeles…

Apr 15, 2015 9:00 AM CDT

Law profs victimized in tax-refund scam

At least a dozen law professors at the University of Texas had their identities stolen by someone who sought federal tax refunds in their names. The University of Texas is investigating whether the scammer obtained the professors’ information through a data breach, the Austin American-Statesman reports. The law professors learned…

Apr 15, 2015 6:55 AM CDT

Does Facebook’s facial recognition technology violate privacy laws?

An Illinois man is suing Facebook, contending that its facial recognition technology violates the state’s privacy laws, the Chicago Tribune reports. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, argues that the social media company was required by Illinois law to inform Carlo Licata in writing that it would collect and retain his “biometric…

Apr 6, 2015 5:30 AM CDT

Cyber liability insurance is an increasingly popular, almost necessary choice for law firms

It is no secret that law firms handle loads of sensitive, private data of clients, third parties and others in the course of conducting business. Unfortunately, there are many ways that health information, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers and other personally identifiable information can be compromised —whether by a…

Apr 1, 2015 3:20 AM CDT

Are Lyft and Uber drivers employees? Juries will decide

Operators of the popular Lyft and Uber ride-sharing smartphone applications say drivers who use their own private vehicles to transport passengers who find them via the apps are independent contractors. But federal judges in two separate San Francisco class actions against the companies aren’t so sure, reports the Los Angeles…

Mar 16, 2015 9:07 AM CDT

US offers $3M bounty for alleged Russian hacker, a record reward for a cybersecurity case

Federal officials announced this week that they are offering a $3 million bounty for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Evgeniy Bogachev, a Russian national believed to be somewhere in his home country. The reward by the State Department and the FBI is the highest ever offered in…

Feb 26, 2015 4:05 PM CST

Banks and law firms are collaborating on project to share info about cybersecurity threats

A number of Wall Street banks are collaborating with BigLaw firms on a project that would potentially allow the legal industry to share information, anonymously, about cybersecurity threats they may be experiencing. “A lot of this started because the banks were individually talking to the law firms about security information…

Feb 24, 2015 9:00 AM CST

Preloaded adware makes some laptops more vulnerable to hackers than others, experts say

Are some laptops more vulnerable to hackers than others? The answer to that question is yes, security experts say, pointing to Superfish adware that has, until recently, come preinstalled on laptops manufactured by China-based Lenovo Group Ltd. The world’s largest manufacturer of personal computers, Lenovo uses Superfish software to funnel…

Feb 19, 2015 2:05 PM CST