Do you remember the time when working from home was considered a luxury? Now, workers across the world have transitioned to working remotely due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19. Remote work has become a necessity in today’s world. However, the sudden transition to remote work has left many gaps in security strategies and protocols. More companies are considering making the transition to remote work long-term, but this will require making changes to the security protocols and strategies to ensure protection against identity theft, data breaches, and other cyberattacks. What security measures does your business have in place to ensure your remote workers are protected? Tip #1: Invest in the right antivirus software One of the most effective resources available to your business is antivirus software . A cyber attack can result in significant financial and reputational damage to a business. There is a strong chance the numbers will rise as more cyber criminals look to obtain...

Though Amazon reportedly experienced another record-setting holiday season , it also suffered its share of challenges. Among the holiday favorites for many Amazon shoppers was Wyze, the economical, smart home camera system launched by former Amazon staff. Though the top-selling item provided a major boost for Amazon’s holiday revenue, a new data breach may change that record success. A Wyze security breach confirmed in late December is said to have affected more than 2 million customers , according to Fortune. Though the full extent of the breach has yet to be revealed, it involved account information, such as email addresses, Wi-Fi information, and security tokens. According to Wyze, no financial data or passwords were compromised . The latest breach places Amazon at the epicenter of another security glitch. Wyze likely became a viable alternative for wary shoppers shying away from Amazon’s controversial Ring home camera system. Amazon and Ring were recently named in a class-action...

In 2016, when FBI Director James Comey conducted a question-and-answer session on privacy at Kenyon College , one of his revelations baffled the audience. Comey admitted to covering his laptop’s webcam to ensure privacy, and encouraged others to do the same. Some thought it ironic, coming from a federal agent whose work involved the very infiltration of privacy. In the three years since Comey’s initial warning, the information security landscape has changed dramatically. Not only did a presidential election make Americans think twice about online security threats and the ramifications of hacking in politics, but major breaches at well-respected companies such as Target, Equifax, and Facebook also revealed the impact on our wallets and on our identity. While many can imagine what hackers could want with your personal and account information, it may be harder to discern how your webcam video feeds and sound bites could prove valuable. Hackers can actually use a Remote Access Tool to...

There may be no such thing as privacy, according to a New York Times article by Stuart A. Thompson and Charlie Warzel. In a study on privacy and security, the Times assessed the sheer power of location tracking devices and their encroachment upon a basic right to privacy. The danger in this type of surveillance is that in addition to known sources and apps, monitoring happens with several other unknown apps. The Times Privacy Project revealed the location information of a sample population provided through phone app data. “In the cities that the data file covers, it tracks people from nearly every neighborhood and block, whether they live in mobile homes in Alexandria, Va., or luxury towers in Manhattan,” Thompson and Warzel shared in the Times. Perhaps more shocking than that revelation is the fact that the tracking measures were put in place not by phone companies that provide the apps, but by an unknown entity: the location tracking companies that are bundled with the apps. “Even...

You may not always realize it, but your car can hold a lot of information about you. Holding personal contacts, location information and more, essentially makes them “roving computers.” So, how does that impact the fourth amendment? The fourth amendment is what protects you from unreasonable search and seizures. However, there’s a “vehicle exception,” which means police don’t need a warrant to search your car for physical items. Now, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says that data isn’t covered under that exception. Spurred by the case Mobley v. State in Georgia, the ACLU argued in an amicus brief that “cops cannot conduct warrantless searches of computers — even if that computer happens to be on wheels.” The Mobley case began after a deadly car crash in Georgia. Police took data from the Event Data Recorder — or “black box” — on Mobley’s car in order to figure out his speed before the crash. They used this information to increase the severity of charges against Mobley....

Facebook is no stranger to privacy scandals, much to the frustration of many users. Now, investment firms have even begun side eyeing the social media giant. Investment firm S&P Dow Jones Indices has decided to remove Facebook from its S&P 500 ESG Index, Business Insider reported . Essentially, the index tracks how socially responsible companies are. It scores them based on environmental, social, and corporate governance rankings. Reid Steadman, global head of ESG at S&P, explained Facebook’s removal in a blog post : “The specific issues resulting in these scores had to do with various privacy concerns, including a lack of transparency as to why Facebook collects and shares certain user information. These events have created uncertainty about Facebook’s diligence regarding privacy protection, and the effectiveness of the company risk management processes and how the company enforces them. These issues caused the company to lag behind its peers in terms of the ESG performance.”...

Thanks to poor federal regulations, it’s up to each individual state to protect their residents’ data. Recently, Maine’s State Senate passed a landmark bill that will look out for people’s internet privacy. Your internet service providers (ISPs) have a lot more information on you than you might think. Your internet history (including the sites you visit, how often, location data, etc.) can tell a lot about you as an individual. Maine’s new bill — LD 946 —now requires that ISPs get people’s consent before selling or offering access to their private data. In a blog post , the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Maine noted: “The personal information ISPs collect and sell is increasingly being used by advertisers to discriminate against certain communities. Advertisers and data brokers are increasingly using data to decide what prices to advertise to someone, the content they should steer them to, and even the types of loans to offer them.” Although this bill is important, it’s not...

Apple loves to claim a pro-privacy stance, but three iTunes users claim that the company disclosed their listening habits to advertisers. While Apple CEO Tim Cook says, “We are very much on your side,” this situation may prove otherwise. In a lawsuit filed last week , the users say Apple sold personal listening information directly to third parties. They also say that app developers were given access to iTunes libraries through Media Player. The users themselves come from Rhode Island and Michigan, so part of their claim is that Apple violated laws specific to those states. They’re seeking a class-action status alongside other state residents. “Apple has disregarded its legal responsibilities to these individuals by systematically disclosing their Personal Listening Information,” the document said. The lawsuit specifically referenced Apple’s attempts to “capitalize on recent revelations concerning the data-sharing practices of its competitors.” In early 2019, Apple put up a massive...