Regulation

Not if, but when." These simple words are enough to keep privacy officers, corporate counsel, compliance officers and IT managers up at night when faced with the reality that their network will at some point be breached. While there are no silver bullets to stop breaches from occurring, understanding and following legal actions brought by regulatory agencies and heeding security guidance they issue can go a long way.

As 2015 drew to a close, Congress agreed on a federal budget. That simple act, coming on the heels of a series of contentious continuing resolutions, was big news. But tucked away on page 694 of that 887-page bill was perhaps a more significant achievement. There Congress inserted, passed, and the President signed, the Cybersecurity Act of 2015.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has fired a shot across the bow of the burgeoning online-payment industry, taking an enforcement action this week that marked the agency's first foray into regulating cybersecurity.

To say 'social media is everywhere' these days may be slightly archaic. Of course it's everywhere. Chances are, you're reading this article with at least one social media application running or open in a browser right now. But why, then, aren't these social media platforms as secure as they could be? A new 'Best Practices for Social Media Archiving and Security' survey from Osterman Research found that although enterprise and consumer-focused social platforms abound in modern organizations, social media remains a threat for many companies.

Experts at the 'Truth and Lies of the Internet for Lawyers' panel at ABA Tech Show 2016 in Chicago conducted the one hour discussion in a way similar to the TV show 'Mythbusters' ' dispelling some of the common myths told to small and mid-sized firms looking to build their own business.

The Home Depot will pay $13 million to resolve claims by customers whose personal information was exposed to hackers during a massive data security breach in 2014. The settlement agreement, filed in March in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, would certify a class of Home Depot customers to include all U.S. residents whose personal information was compromised after they used payment cards at self-checkout lanes at U.S. Home Depot stores between April 10, 2014, and Sept.'

It hasn't been an easy couple of months for Denver-based fast casual food giant Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. And now a decision from the National Labor Relations Board has shone a negative light on the company's social media policies and labor practices too.

Lawyers are increasingly expected to understand the implications of cybersecurity when providing advice relating to a long list of matters that include privacy compliance, contract compliance, data breach response, data breach litigation, M&A due diligence, and insurance coverage. As a result, it is important that lawyers understand the latest trends in cyber intrusions that may expose their stakeholders to unwarranted risk and allow adversaries to exploit technical and human vulnerabilities.