Friday, September 23, 2011


The cost of a security breach... Are they not acting like a victim because they see themselves as liable?
(follow-up) OH: Silence not broken nearly a year after security breach
September 23, 2011 by admin
The student paper at Ohio State University has continued to try to get answers to their questions about a breach at OSU last year that affected 760,000. You can read Ally Marotti’s recent update on The Lantern. The coverage paints an unflattering picture of the university in terms of transparency following the breach. Could the university really not have a detailed chronology or notes concerning steps it took after becoming aware of a breach? Despite a number of freedom of information requests, the campus paper is still having trouble getting answers to some questions, it seems.
The article also includes some figures on what the breach may have cost, in part:
After the breach, the university hired two computer security-consulting firms, Interhack Corp., based in Columbus, and Stroz Friedberg LLC, a New York-based firm.
According to an original estimate Lynch provided, OSU budgeted $200,000 and $22,000 for Stroz Friedberg and Interhack, respectively.
Additionally, $100,000 was budgeted for Vory’s, a legal consultant, and $50,000 for Adelman, a communications consultant.
For Experian, the incident notification consultant, OSU put aside $3.7 million, bringing the total estimated cost to $4.1 million. The university’s operating funds will go toward the costs, Lynch said.
The Lantern is still awaiting subsequent requests for the most recent estimates on how much the breach will cost OSU.
OSU hired Experian to provide year-long credit protection for those affected. OSU bought 500,000 activation codes from Experian, costing $3.19 each, for a total of nearly $1.6 million.


They don't teach this in medical school?
By Dissent, September 23, 2011
Alina Selyukh reports:
New technologies are flooding into the healthcare world, but the industry is not adequately prepared to protect patients from data breaches, [No surprise Bob] according to a report published on Thursday.
A vast majority of hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and insurers are eager to adapt to increasingly digital patient data. However, less than half are addressing implications for privacy and security, a survey of healthcare industry executives by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP found.
PwC’s Health Research Institute interviewed 600 executives in the spring of this year and also found that less than half of their companies have addressed issues related to the use of mobile devices. Less than a quarter have addressed implications of social media.
Read more on Reuters.


It used to be that when someone irritated management they'd toss them out of the pub – on their butts if they insulted the owner's wife, on their heads if they insulted his mistress.
September 22, 2011
Report Provides Guidelines for Dilemmas of Account Deactivation and Content Removal
"A report released today by the Center for Democracy & Technology and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society highlights the dilemmas companies and users face when enforcement of a website's Terms of Use policy results in deactivation of user accounts or removal of user-generated content. The report recommends principles, strategies, and tools that both companies and users can adopt to lessen the negative effects of account deactivation and content removal. The report, Account Deactivation and Content Removal: Guiding Principles and Practices for Companies and Users, outlines select examples of good company practices. Such practices feature rules and enforcement policies that are sensitive to users' free expression and privacy rights and to the potential risks faced by human rights activists, who are increasingly using social media tools in their work."


45 pages to say “Play nicely”
Net neutrality rules kick in November 20
… The Net neutrality rules were originally passed by the FCC in late December, and shortly thereafter Verizon Communications sued the agency in federal court, saying the FCC had overstepped its authority. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed the case, calling it premature, since the rules had not yet been added to the Register.
With that publication apparently upon us, Verizon and other companies could initiate additional legal challenges.
The FCC rules--the outcome of years of debate--lay out specific Net neutrality principles and essentially let Internet service providers ration access to their networks while preventing them from discriminating against content that comes from competitors.
ii. No blocking. Fixed broadband providers may not block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices; mobile broadband providers may not block lawful Web sites, or block applications that compete with their voice or video telephony services;


What would the equivalent have been 20 years ago? A wristwatch (replaced by cellphones)? Their own phone line (unlikely, they couldnot take it with them to show the other kids)?
"Nearly everyone is aware of the influence of technology, specifically that of the new-generation telephonic devices on our society. But, when one in every 3 under-ten kids start having their own mobile phones, only then we come to realize how deep rooted the influence really is — yes, that's what a new report claims. According to the latest findings by the cloud security outfit Westcoastcloud, near about 33 percent of all UK's under-ten kids are currently in possession of a mobile phone."


All my students carry these. This may be useful.
How To Auto-Launch Apps With A USB Stick [Windows]


This could be really handy! For backup or copy and paste, paste, paste, paste...
PickMeApp Lets You Transfer all Installed Programs from one Windows PC to Another

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