Privacy

Your source for the latest privacy news and analysis.

Which? responds to Mandelson Internet plan
Nov. 02, 2009
Consumer champion Which? has responded to Lord Mandelson's threats to cut persistent file-sharers Internet connections off as early as summer 2011 under new 'three strikes' rules.

Microsoft-led privacy group backs off legislation
Mar. 13, 2009
A Microsoft-led group set up three years ago has backed away from its original goal of pushing for comprehensive U.S. privacy legislation.

Security vendor McAfee spills 1,400 customer names
Jul. 29, 2009
In a story just dripping with irony, e-mail security vendor McAfee has accidentally sent the contact details of some1400 conference attendees in a spreadsheet attached to a thank you message.

Daily Mail picks fight with government for McKinnon
Jul. 06, 2009
The Daily Mail has stated its support for NASA hacker Gary McKinnon, vowing to fight his extradition.

FTC urged to investigate security of Google services
Mar. 18, 2009
An online privacy group is calling on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether Google is making deceptive claims over the security of data stored in cloud-computing services such as Gmail and Google Docs ...

Privacy Commissioner to investigate police data leakage
Mar. 10, 2009
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said Monday it has ordered an investigation to probe into the police's recent data leakage incident.

Fixing the privacy joke
Feb. 05, 2009
Privacy has become a joke because the companies you deal with can pretty much do with your private data whatever they please. Mark Gibbs has some thought on what is needed to fix this problem.

Google privacy exec faces criminal charges in Italy
Feb. 03, 2009
In what is believed to be the first instance of a privacy executive being held accountable for his firm's actions, Google's global privacy counsel is scheduled to appear before a criminal court in Milan, Italy, on ...

Anatomy of SQL injection attack
Oct. 07, 2008
While there are a number of security risks in the world of electronic commerce, SQL injection is one of the most common Web site attack techniques used to steal customer data such as credit card numbers, hold customer ...

5 Ways IT Can Avoid a Privacy Lawsuit
Jul. 08, 2008
Lieutenant Steve Duke, a commander with the Ontario, Calif., Police Department, never intended to be a bill collector.

EU-US accord on SWIFT data hits political snag
Nov. 13, 2009
Some of Europe's largest countries are backing away from a controversial draft agreement being negotiated with the U.S. that would allow that country's antiterrorism agencies access to the personal financial data of ...

iPhone security problems bring new risks
Nov. 11, 2009
In just four days, not one but two worms targeting the iPhone have emerged. Both of the worms target the same vulnerability, a default password in the SSH server that is installed on jail-broken iPhones. While one worm ...

Eighth person charged with passport snooping
Nov. 09, 2009
An eighth person who has worked for the U.S. Department of State has pleaded guilty to illegally accessing numerous electronic passport files that are supposed to be confidential, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Dashboard shows what Google knows about you
Nov. 05, 2009
Google's new Dashboard products provides its users with some transparency, but critics say more needs to be done to protect consumer privacy.

Federal data protection law inches forward
Nov. 05, 2009
A sweeping new bill that would implement a national standard for data protection and breach notification got a boost of support today from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Scary new tech fears to haunt your Halloween
Oct. 30, 2009
We all love our PCs and gadgets, don't we? Technology publications like this one (and columnists like me) love to wax eloquent about the wonders of the iPhone, the joys of Twitter and the un-Vista like qualities of ...

CalOptima recovers discs with personal data on 68,000 members
Oct. 29, 2009
Several missing CDs with unencrypted personal data on 68,000 members of the CalOptima managed care plan have been traced to a secure postal facility in Atlanta.

HITECH Act: What you need to know about new data-breach guidelines
Oct. 29, 2009
Healthcare providers and others handling sensitive patient data are now finding the stakes raised if they suffer a data breach because of a new law known as the "Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical ...

Judge says TD Ameritrade's proposed security fixes not enough
Oct. 27, 2009
A federal judge's rejection of a proposed settlement by TD Ameritrade Inc. in a data breach lawsuit marks the second time in recent months where a court has weighed in on what it consider to be basic security standards ...

From Facebook to eternity
Oct. 27, 2009
Facebook says it will memorialize users who pass away by keeping their Facebook profiles alive.

Privacy: Why Google Social Search Gives Me The Creeps
Oct. 27, 2009
Has Google started following us around? It's new Google Social Search feature, going live today, sure feels like it. And hints at what Google can do both for and to you with all the information it has collected.

India's new IT law increases surveillance powers
Oct. 27, 2009
A new IT law has come into force in India that frees Internet portals from liability for third-party content and activity, but also gives the government powers to monitor communications on the Internet, and block web ...

CalOptima says data on 68,000 members may be compromised
Oct. 26, 2009
Personal data on about 68,000 members of CalOptima, a Medicaid managed care plan serving Orange County, Calif., may have been compromised earlier this month.

500,000 job hunters details exposed in Guardian hack
Oct. 26, 2009
Sensitive personal data belonging to 500,000 job hunters have been exposed after hackers attacked The Guardian's Jobs website.

Analysis: Real ID program on life support
Oct. 23, 2009
A decision by lawmakers in Congress to slash funding for the unpopular Real ID national driver's license program has put an already struggling program on life support.