As a Rhode Islander, I am a big fan of our former Governor and now Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo. She has always had her eye on the ball of the rapidly developing data privacy and cybersecurity risks and threats to national security. She is showing her continued commitment to data privacy, cybersecurity, and the
Privacy & Data Security
FTC Concentrating Enforcement Efforts on Use of AI in Operation AI Comply
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated a new “law enforcement sweep called Operation AI Comply.” The operation shows that the FTC is serious about protecting consumers from companies that use artificial intelligence (AI) tools and services to “trick, mislead, or defraud people.” Such conduct is “illegal,” and in announcing the first five enforcement…
Privacy Tip #414 – Beware of Fraud Schemes Promising Big Monetary Rewards from AI
Fraudsters are using the hype of new technology, specifically artificial intelligence (AI), to commit fraud on consumers. The same bad guys are just spinning buzzwords to develop new schemes to take advantage of consumers.
This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it took enforcement action against five companies “that use AI hype or…
Privacy Tip #413 – NIST Releases Recommendation for Consumer Routers
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued helpful recommendations for consumers to consider when securing home routers.
The publication, issued on September 10, 2024, emphasizes how important it is to secure the router in your home, particularly with the expansion of the smart home, Internet of Things devices, and remote work.
According…
Members of International Sextortion Ring Charged for Stealing $2M From Victims
According to the FBI, it has “seen a huge increase in the number of cases involving children and teens being threatened and coerced into sending explicit images online,” also known as sextortion.
In some cases, the criminal will threaten the teen that they have a revealing picture or video and that they will share…
Lehigh Valley Health Network Settle Class Action Case for $65M
Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) has agreed to settle a class action filed against it following a February 2023 ransomware attack that compromised personal information of patients, including medical and treatment information, health insurance information and, for some individuals, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and banking information. For a limited number of individuals, the…
CMS Notifies 946,801 Medicare Recipients of Data Breach
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Wisconsin Physicians Insurance Corporation have announced that 946,801 current Medicare recipients are being notified that their personal information may have been exposed during the MOVEit security incident that occurred in 2023. According to CMS, “a vulnerability in the MOVEit software made it possible, between May…
The Push for Warning Labels on Social Media Platforms, States Attorneys General Urge Lawmakers to Take Action
Should kids be on social media? At what age? Should parents monitor their conversations on those platforms? Do parental controls work? These are questions facing many parents and guardians, especially with the increasing use of social media platforms by kids and teens. The Pew Research Center reported that 58% of teens are daily users of…
Russian Military Cyber Actors Targeting Critical Infrastructure Sector
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Security Agency, and other international partners, issued an Alert on September 5, 2024, warning that cyber actors affiliated with the Russian military are targeting critical infrastructure, government services, financial services, transportation systems, energy, and healthcare sectors of NATO…
Privacy Tip #412 – Beware of Spamouflage
A new report by Graphika, as reported by Cyberscoop, has identified a Chinese-linked group that is “creating American personas online and spreading content designed to denigrate both parties and candidates.”
The disinformation group, known as Dragonbridge, Taizi Flood, and Empire Dragon, “produces high-volumes of spammy, inauthentic content online in an effort to influence political and…