One of my lasting impressions of 2005 will be the seemingly
endless parade of breaches, missteps, and other blunders in
handling customer data.
Now, to punctuate a year filled with failures by companies and
academic institutions alike (those failures partially represented
here), we have two new security and privacy
incidents involving government entities. InformationWeek's
Larry Greenemeier reported last week that the
U.S. Department of Justice had certain individuals' Social
Security numbers publicly available on some of its Web
pages--a veritable invitation to identity theft. This week
there's a report of an allegation inside the company handling
personnel data for the state of Florida that information on top
state officials including the governor was accessed repeatedly and, presumably,
unnecessarily.
While an investigation of the potential Florida data exposure
found issues that were "not necessarily weaknesses," according to
an official involved with the system, details of the enhancements
contained enough doublespeak to undermine any attempt to
represent the system as one that state employees should trust. "I
would say that we took the opportunity to search for continual
improvement," the official said.
Several features that should have been baked in from day one were
added as part of the drive for "continual improvement." These
include an automated tracking system of who accesses what
information, random computer audits to make sure sensitive data
hasn't been downloaded, and limits so that confidential
information can only be accessed by those who need it to do their
jobs.
Coupled with the breaches of earlier this year, these latest
incidents drive home once again the need for CEO-level
commitments to the discipline of protecting customers' private
information, more stringent data handling and access policies,
and, finally, greater attention to the IT component of the
privacy equation.
When it comes to the handling of confidential personal data, 2005
has been a year many organizations would like to forget. Here's
hoping all companies have learned from the miserable failures of
the past year and are prepared to be far more vigilant in the
coming year.
'Leaked' E-Mail About Windows Live Messenger Really A Trojan
The message, which refers to an alternate name for the upcoming
Live Messenger, includes a link. Users who click on the link, then
download and run the executable, are installing the Virkel.f Trojan.
Related Story:
Vista's Metadata Poses Security Risk, Analysts Say
Microsoft could have used some form of digital-rights-management
technology to control who sees metadata, Gartner analysts said.
Instead, the company chose not to use any, meaning that
unsophisticated users can inadvertently disclose private
information while using Vista's search tool.
3. Breaking News
Florida Strengthens State Personnel System's Security After Complaint
Improvements include an automated tracking system of who accesses
what information and random computer audits to make sure
sensitive data has not been downloaded.
Cell Phone Lodges In Woman's Throat
Police in Blue Springs, Mo., said a woman swallowed a cell phone
Friday, after an argument over the device with her boyfriend.
Google's Investment May Lead To IPO For AOL
According to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, Google has the right to demand AOL make an initial
public offering by 2008.
More Women Are Tuning In To Podcasts
But the number of people who have ever listened to a podcast
remains small, according to just-released survey results.
Go Daddy's New Super Bowl Ad Stalled By Censors
The domain registrar had problems with its 2005 Super Bowl ad,
too; the Fox network canceled the scheduled second showing of the
sexy ad after complaints from NFL executives.
Yahoo Streams Two CBS Comedies
The shows will be available for a week; this is the first time
the Web portal has streamed a CBS show in its entirety.
Chip Firm Wins DoD Contract Extension
The contract, now extended through February, is to help run the
Department of Defense's semiconductor foundry, established to
make sure weapons systems keep up with the newest technology.
Nortel Acquires Router Maker Tasman
The deal, for $99.5 million, allows Nortel to provide routing and
multicast services to the SMB market, among others.
Solar Hot In Venture-Capital Circles
Funding for solar-related companies has more than doubled over
last year, a new report says.
Oregon Nanotech Group Gains Funding
The group, called Onami, is focused on research and
commercialization of nanoscience and microtechnologies to help
create products, companies, and jobs in the Pacific Northwest.
Computer Visionary John Diebold Dies At 79
"Automation" became Diebold's main theme as he promoted the early
use of computers at large U.S. companies.
All our latest news
Watch More News
Aaron Ricadela With 'Web 2.0'
A recap of the Web 2.0 conference.
Chris Murphy With 'It's Raining E-Mail'
Addicted to E-mail? You're either part of the problem or part of
the solution.
Art Wittmann With 'Virtual Iron'
Startup Virtual Iron simplifies data-center management.
John Soat With 'Priorities 2006'
Bob Evans spots some IT trends to watch in the coming year.
4. Grab Bag: News You Need From The Web
Sources: Intel Developing Next-Generation Power Mac For Apple (Apple Insider)
In a move that may surprise some Apple watchers, reliable sources
tell AppleInsider the Mac maker has contracted the design duties
for its next-generation Power Mac motherboard over to industry
heavyweight Intel Corp.
Portable Video, Just Not Always Convenient (The Washington Post)
Why is it that importing video to portable devices is not nearly
as easy and effortless as putting music or video games on them?
Timekeeper To Add 'Leap Second' To Clocks (Voice of America News)
Timekeepers are planning to delay the start of the new year for
an instant later this week, when they add one second to official
clocks. The U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, which is part
of an international agreement that sets Coordinated Universal Time
or UTC, says the addition of a so-called "leap second" is needed
to synchronize official atomic clocks with the earth's rotation.
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5. In Depth: The Latest In Security
Password-Stealing Trojan Snares Spanish Speakers
Nabload.u is a hybrid that mixes elements of Trojan, spyware, and
phishing attacks--and is aimed at online banking users in the
international Hispanic community.
Symantec Bug Not Likely To Be Hit By Worm, Says Rival
Internet Security Systems said in an online alert that although
the vulnerability is serious, the likelihood of the flaw being
leveraged by a worm is "low."
Symantec, McAfee Problems May Lead To Sea Change In Antivirus Industry
Doubt is mounting about the antivirus industry's
install-and-upgrade model, and Microsoft is preparing to enter
the market. Combine that with vulnerabilities in popular
antivirus software, and the market is ripe for a shift.
6. Voice Of Authority: Podcasting
Motel 6's Jump Into Podcasting: The Light May Be On, But The Download Is Still Hard To Find
One of the numerous attributes of podcasting is its
accessibility. It's the rare example of a technology that
everybody can understand--The News Show's hilarious report about
how few people on the street can tell you what podcasting is
notwithstanding. That's one of the big reasons it's growing so
fast. The media (InformationWeek being a clear example) has
picked up on how easy it is to do and how simple it is for users
to make use of. And increasingly, nonmedia companies are testing
the waters, too, discovering a low-cost creative channel that
just might help them tighten their bonds with customers. Case in
point: Motel 6's recently unveiled first foray into podcasting.
7. White Papers: Outsourcing
Rightsourcing: Making Benefit-Based Decisions On Where HR Processes Should Reside
Kronos has developed a methodology to help you reach the right
outsourcing decisions. Rightsourcing seeks to find the right
balance between which (if any) functions should be outsourced and
which (if any) should be kept in-house. This white paper will
show you how to use the methodology to assess if making a change
will deliver significant benefits.
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