First in a series of blogs about blockchain technology and its impact on business practices, corporate governance and cybersecurity It’s hard to avoid articles, white papers, blog pieces and presentations that promote the almost magical use of blockchain – it seems that blockchain, a form of distributed ledger technology,…
It’s ironic: when global threats are in the news every day, their ubiquity makes them easy to ignore. Whether they be political threats, climate threats, or data security threats, we can become numb to ever-present risk. Add in the chorus of advice from the growing number of providers, and even…
Ever since California adopted the nation’s first breach notification law in 2002, companies that have suffered a data breach have focused on whether and how to notify their customers, employees and others of the nature and extent of the breach. California’s law has been amended multiple times, and has been…
Middle-market companies have cultures, goals and business needs that are distinct from larger firms, and nowhere is that more true than with cybersecurity. Fortune 500 companies and brands with household names are much more likely to recover their reputations following a data breach. While breaches are costly in financial terms…
You spent valuable time and resources crafting a cybersecurity breach action plan. You’ve assembled a multidisciplinary response team. You’ve identified who is responsible for what, and what decision-tree will go into effect. The plan has been circulated. You’ve even engaged a separate law firm that will be on call in…
While there is no nationwide cybersecurity program, the Federal Trade Commission has brought more than 50 actions claiming that the cybersecurity practices of a variety of companies in a variety of industries. While these actions have primarily been administrative and resulted in settlements, and the specifics of each order apply…
Cybersecurity horror stories tend to focus on government agencies, retail outlets, health care institutions, and other companies serving consumers. But business professionals such as lawyers, accountants and business managers are increasingly at risk of attack, and may be less prepared to handle a cyber assault. Late last year, three Chinese…
Last year, SEC Chair Mary Jo White named cybersecurity as the biggest risk facing financial markets. But the risk isn’t limited to the financial industry – even a casual review of breach reports in the mainstream press shows that cybersecurity is a risk common to all companies in any industry.…
Cyber risk affects businesses of every size and industry. A data breach can lead to negative publicity, loss of customer confidence and potential lawsuits. There can be a variety of unanticipated – and costly – business disruptions. Just ask the owners of the Romantik Seehotel Jaegerwirt hotel, in the Austrian…
One of the great frustrations in contemplating a data security program is that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. There is no law or regulation that specifies the exact steps a company needs to take in order achieve data security. While there are some regulatory and industry…