Cybersecurity

Home Depot confirms data breach

Home Depot confirmed Monday that the store had suffered a data breach that could affect customers who used a debit card or a credit card at some 2,200 stores in the U.S. and Canada. The company said its payment systems had been hacked possibly as far back as April, but…

Sep 8, 2014 5:05 PM CDT

NSA surveillance policies raise questions about the viability of the attorney-client privilege

Press reports earlier this year indicating that communications between at least one U.S. law firm and a foreign government had been monitored by the Australian equivalent of the U.S. National Security Agency triggered a series of diplomatic exchanges between the ABA and the NSA, focusing on the extent to which…

Sep 1, 2014 8:49 AM CDT

Fake law firm websites use real firms’ photos and info, but alter contact details

A smiling man in a business suit pictured on the Dovernor Chambers website in a wood-paneled office looks like a seasoned legal practitioner, and is. However, he actually is a U.S. lawyer practicing in Kansas. The Dovernor Chambers firm—which purports to operate in the United Kingdom—is fake, and its website…

Aug 20, 2014 9:05 PM CDT

ABA House urges all organizations to develop cybersecurity programs

The ABA House of Delegates has adopted a policy encouraging private and public sector organizations to develop, implement and maintain an appropriate cybersecurity program. Such programs would need to comply with applicable ethical and legal obligations. They would also need to be tailored to the nature and scope of the…

Aug 12, 2014 4:15 PM CDT

You don’t need perfect tech knowhow for ethics’ sake—but a reasonable grasp is essential

So-called low-tech lawyers who pine for the bygone days before the Internet, the cloud and social media will have to get used to the fact that there is no turning back from technology. But the future may not be as intimidating as it might seem. That was the broad message…

Aug 9, 2014 11:00 PM CDT

Snowden gets 3-year residency permit, is on track for Russian citizenship

A U.S. intelligence contractor who became a household name after revealing classified information to journalists has renewed his Russian residency permit, which is now good for three more years, and is on track to become a Russian citizen. Edward Snowden, 31, who formerly worked for the National Security Agency, still…

Aug 7, 2014 10:00 PM CDT

Some 17,000 seek to join law student’s Facebook class action in Austria

A class action filed against Facebook by an Austrian law student, contending that its data-collection practices violate European law, is gathering steam. Some 17,000 users of the social media site have signed up to join in the case following a call to action by 26-year-old Max Schrems last week, Reuters…

Aug 5, 2014 10:25 PM CDT

Firms keep a tight rein on employees’ mobile access to networks

Graphics by Jamie Gannon This article originally appeared in the August 2014 issue of the ABA Journal with this headline: “Tight reins on mobile.”

Aug 1, 2014 7:30 AM CDT

Law firms’ own employees are among the major cyberthreats to be protected against

Law firms face an array of cyberthreats from foreign governments, competitors and hackers. And then there’s the threat that has always existed in the offline world, but has migrated online: inside jobs—or what cybersecurity experts call extrusion. That threat comes from firm employees who may be disgruntled or who want…

Jul 1, 2014 7:50 AM CDT

FCC stakes out Florida driver, seeks to fine him $48K for allegedly using cellphone jammer

It is illegal in a number of jurisdictions to use a cellphone while driving, at least if it’s not hands-free device. But it’s also illegal, based on similar safety concerns, for a driver to try to prevent fellow motorists from using cellphones by jamming their signals, the Tampa Tribune reports.…

Jun 24, 2014 8:45 PM CDT

Feds tell local law enforcement to remain silent about cellphone surveillance

Updated: The federal government is putting pressure on local law enforcement to keep quiet about its use of Stingray and other surveillance technology used to gather data off of mobile phones. The Associated Press reports that the Obama administration has taken the rare step of becoming actively involved with state…

Jun 13, 2014 6:45 PM CDT

Mom can’t learn who created fake Instagram account in daughter’s name; police say no crime occurred

After Reve Osheel, Tourette’s syndrome, spoke out against bullying, someone created a fake account in her name that included screenshots of photos from the Arizona 12-year-old’s real Instagram account, her mother says. Expletive-laden messages posted by the imposter that seemingly came from Osheel have now created trouble for her and…

Jun 13, 2014 1:10 PM CDT

DOJ charges Russian in ‘Cryptolocker’ and ‘Project Zeus’ attacks, says US victims lost over $100M

The Department of Justice has announced charges against a Russian man who is alleged to be the leader of a computer hacking group responsible for “Cryptolocker” and “Project Zeus” virus attacks that cost U.S. individuals and businesses more than $100 million, ABC News reports. “Evgeniy Bogachev and the members of…

Jun 2, 2014 10:15 PM CDT

Be vigilant about protecting sensitive client data with these tools

Are you concerned that Big Brother (including the National Security Agency) is not only watching but also listening to, recording and even transcribing your confidential client conversations? The good news for lawyers worried about maintaining their duty of confidentiality is that there are tools and safeguards to help them. In…

Jun 1, 2014 8:10 AM CDT

‘60 Sites’ session takes in the crowd’s favorites

As a near-capacity crowd inside the Continental Ballroom at the Hilton Chicago watched, a four-person panel—outgoing Techshow chairwoman Natalie Kelly, director of the State Bar of Georgia’s law practice management program; Randall Juip of Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip in Livonia, Mich.; Lincoln Mead, the IT director of the Utah…

Jun 1, 2014 8:00 AM CDT