Security » Privacy

Shhh... ACMA preps URL 'block' page

In a recent discussion with Senator Conroy’s media advisors, I was given the privilege of being politely declined any more information about the composition of the proposed URL 'block' page or what options people have to check if their Web site is caught up in the filter.

By Rodney Gedda | 16 June, 2010 10:29

Tags: ACMA, censorship, Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE), internet filter blacklist, Stephen Conroy

The privacy policy problem, Part 4: Reality hits home

In the last three columns, I’ve been looking at the complexities of protecting client or prospect privacy (personally identifiable information or PII) in an interconnected world.

By M. E. Kabay | 02 October, 2008 12:40

Tags: privacy

The privacy policy problem, Part 3: Opting out of opting out

In my most recent two columns, I've been discussing privacy policies. Today I want to look at some of the issues that can occur when you work with other organizations whose policies may differ from yours.

By M. E. Kabay | 23 September, 2008 10:56

Tags: privacy

The privacy policy problem, Part 2: Controlling business partners

In this series of four articles, I'm exploring privacy policies. Today I'll continue with an analysis of potential problems due to independent partner organizations working on behalf of their clients without adequate supervision and coordination.

The privacy policy problem, Part 1: A model policy

Many organizations strive to protect the confidentiality of prospects and clients. In this column and the next three, I want to explore issues relating to privacy policies and the sometimes problematic relations between legitimate, well-meaning institutions and the commercial organizations with which they do business - and the criminal organizations which abuse their good names and reputations.

'Whaling' threats target the big fish of the corporate world

The proliferation and popularity of collaborative Web 2.0 sites – there are around 250,000 new registrations to Facebook everyday – has changed the threat landscape and the way businesses need to think about security. Each year, newer technologies and weapons are being unleashed to leave Web users surprised, annoyed and at greater risk.‘Whaling’ or ‘spear phishing’, is one such threat and refers to phishing scams which specifically target high-worth individuals.

By Pete Simpson | 10 September, 2008 14:50

Tags: whaling

Separation of duties and IT security

Separation of duties is a key concept of internal controls and is the most difficult and sometimes the most costly one to achieve. This objective is achieved by disseminating the tasks and associated privileges for a specific security process among multiple people.

Street View: the "privy" in privacy

What responsibility does Google have in terms of your "visual privacy"? Meaning, should they be "privy" to the junk that is laying about my yard, the car in my driveway, the cat in my lawn?

The best ways to protect your identity online

With identity theft on the rise and personal information at a premium, it's never been more important to be cautious about what you reveal online.

When selling snake oil catches up with you

Recent reporting from AP and The Charleston Gazette demonstrates that selling snake oil will eventually catch up with you. LifeLock, an identity theft protection company based in Arizona, is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging that their services are 'inept' at preventing identity theft from taking place.

Bleak prospects for privacy

While Web surfing the other day I ran across a London Times story that described two shopping malls in England that individually track everyone who walks into their environs (as long as they have a mobile phone turned on).

Defending "Fixing the Internet"

Last week I publicly released a white paper called Fixing the Internet: A Security Solution in this blog.

Your printer: An open door for hackers?

In 2003, a staff member at the Public Health Laboratory of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care of the Province of Ontario in Canada tried to send a fax to a doctor's office. (By the way, for U.S. readers, Canada is the large blank pink region north of the border on your maps and which, contrary to popular belief, actually includes people as well as moose and beavers.) Alas, the clerk mistyped a 5 as an 8 in the fax number and inadvertently sent medical records to a local gasoline station. The owner very kindly gave the fax to a doctor who was a regular customer and the doctor reported the breach of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act .

What a librarian can teach you about privacy

Librarians will go a long way to defend the privacy of their patrons' reading habits. How far will you go to defend the privacy of your customers' information and your employees' personal data?