Data Security

In the 21st century, the data breach apology letter has established itself as a new literary art form. Countless CEOs from corporations big and small as well as elected officials have had to reach out to the public and offer mea culpas that both communicate how sorry they are that this serious breach happened, and ultimately that there is...

There was a song from the ’30s or ’40s entitled, “How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You When You Know I’ve Been A Liar All My Life.” In an age where the worlds of online dating and identity theft collide with disastrous results, for many this tune might as well be a personal soundtrack. Across the...

By now, most of us know that when surfing the Web we shouldn't click on ads promising us new ways to lose weight without dieting, read emails about magic pills to boost our "egos" or even click on Twitter links about the "shocking" pictures some friend supposedly found of us online. That is, we know not to do those...

You probably know that criminals have long figured out how to trick people into handing over their credit card information. One way is the skimmer. If you thought you'd never fall for that trick, think again. Turns out, skimmers can look a lot like the reader that unlocks doors that lead to bank machines. And because it is very...

The Ponemon Institute released a report today that includes some alarming news: Criminal attacks on healthcare organizations increased by an eye-popping 100 percent since 2010. With a continued ad-hoc approach to security at many organizations and millions of patients signing up for healthcare made possible by the Affordable Care Act, cybercriminals have been presented with an irresistible opportunity for...

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine – let’s call her Mallory - got an unsettling call from her accountant. The accountant had been preparing Mallory’s taxes, hit “Send” to e-file the finished return, and it was rejected. Someone had already filed a tax return using Mallory’s Social Security number. She’d been a victim of tax identity theft. The...

After you’ve booked your transportation and hotel, what should you do to prevent your dream vacation from turning into a nightmare for your credit and your identity? I’m Adam Levin and this is the Wall Street Journal Credit Minute Here are some tips to keep identity thieves at bay while you’re away. Have a trusted family member or neighbor collect your mail...

Increasingly, legions of sophisticated hackers are infiltrating the most state-of-the-art data security strategies out there. The recent data compromises at Kmart and JPMorgan are in no way similar, except they share a common enemy. And while free retina scanners are probably a stretch, biometrics – the use of your biological data like fingerprints -- may well be the next...

It seems like there were more companies that had privacy-related problems in 2014 than didn’t. And the lucky ones that didn’t “get got” were separated by only one or two degrees from those that did. As we look ahead to 2015, I see a mix of old privacy concerns along with a few emerging dangers. Breaches are the new normal....

“If we’re going to be connected, then we need to be protected,” President Obama proclaimed at the Federal Trade Commission on Monday. In wide-ranging remarks, the president expressed what should be a self-evident truth, but is not yet a reality in the new digital age: “As Americans, we shouldn’t have to forfeit our basic privacy when we go online...