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<b>Online Exclusive:</b> Survey Finds Data Loss Pervasive, But Companies' Controls Still Weak
A new study found that loss of laptops, PDAs, and portable data storage devices is bedeviling corporate America, but few companies are working comprehensively to address the problem. 'U.S. Survey: Confidential Data at Risk' was conducted by the Ponemon Institute, a privacy consulting firm and think tank, and Vontu Corp., a computer security firm.
In the survey of nearly 500 information security professionals at large companies, Ponemon and Vontu found that 81% of respondents said that an employee or contractor has lost one or more laptops containing sensitive information during the past year. However, only 36% of companies have ever conducted a survey of sensitive consumer information or inventoried data in the possession of employees. More troubling, a majority of respondents answered 'never' when they were asked: 'How long would it take to determine what actual sensitive data was on a lost or stolen laptop, desktop, file server, or mobile device?'
Security executives said that they feared the loss of a wide range of information, including intellectual property, business documents, customer data, and employee records.
The survey also found that:
' Personal digital assistants and laptops were considered the most 'at-risk' devices, for containing sensitive information. Memory sticks, desktop computers, and shared file servers ranked lower on the sensitivity scale.
' Eighty-one percent of respondents reported that protecting sensitive 'data at rest' (data held on a company's computers and network) is a priority this year, and 89% said that it will be a priority next year.
'Our findings point to the shockingly high risk to both business and consumers of undiscovered confidential data, but we believe that the data also serve as a compass to help point organizations toward effective solutions to this vexing problem,' said Larry Ponemon, founder of the Ponemon Institute.
A new study found that loss of laptops, PDAs, and portable data storage devices is bedeviling corporate America, but few companies are working comprehensively to address the problem. 'U.S. Survey: Confidential Data at Risk' was conducted by the Ponemon Institute, a privacy consulting firm and think tank, and Vontu Corp., a computer security firm.
In the survey of nearly 500 information security professionals at large companies, Ponemon and Vontu found that 81% of respondents said that an employee or contractor has lost one or more laptops containing sensitive information during the past year. However, only 36% of companies have ever conducted a survey of sensitive consumer information or inventoried data in the possession of employees. More troubling, a majority of respondents answered 'never' when they were asked: 'How long would it take to determine what actual sensitive data was on a lost or stolen laptop, desktop, file server, or mobile device?'
Security executives said that they feared the loss of a wide range of information, including intellectual property, business documents, customer data, and employee records.
The survey also found that:
' Personal digital assistants and laptops were considered the most 'at-risk' devices, for containing sensitive information. Memory sticks, desktop computers, and shared file servers ranked lower on the sensitivity scale.
' Eighty-one percent of respondents reported that protecting sensitive 'data at rest' (data held on a company's computers and network) is a priority this year, and 89% said that it will be a priority next year.
'Our findings point to the shockingly high risk to both business and consumers of undiscovered confidential data, but we believe that the data also serve as a compass to help point organizations toward effective solutions to this vexing problem,' said Larry Ponemon, founder of the Ponemon Institute.
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
Legal Possession: What Does It Mean?
Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.
The Stranger to the Deed Rule
In 1987, a unanimous Court of Appeals reaffirmed the vitality of the "stranger to the deed" rule, which holds that if a grantor executes a deed to a grantee purporting to create an easement in a third party, the easement is invalid. Daniello v. Wagner, decided by the Second Department on November 29th, makes it clear that not all grantors (or their lawyers) have received the Court of Appeals' message, suggesting that the rule needs re-examination.