You have probably heard about the recent data breach at Sony; after all, it’s not often that Kim Jong Un and Angelina Jolie are mentioned as part of the same story . Unlike other recent high profile hacks, the recent Sony hack appears to be somewhat...(read more)
HHS Settlement Shows: "You'd Better Implement Those IT 'Patches' and 'Updates' or Be Ready to Pay the Price."
by Forrest Campbell, Health Law Attorney, fcampbell@brookspierce.com In December 2014, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") and Anchorage Community Mental Health Services ("ACMHS") settled alleged HIPAA violations for $150,000...(read more)
Ebola and HIPAA--OCR Issues Bulletin on HIPAA Privacy in Emergency Situations
by Forrest Campbell, Health Law Attorney, fcampbell@brookspierce.com In light of the Ebola outbreak, HHS's Office for Civil Rights ("OCR") issued a bulletin to accomplish two things: (i) ensure that HIPAA covered entities and business associates...(read more)
Mobile is on the FTC's Privacy Agenda--Get Mobile Policies and Practices in Order
In remarks delivered at the 2014 BAA Marketing Law Conference, Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection , confirmed that, when it comes to privacy, the FTC is focusing on mobile technologies in a big way. This is nothing new...(read more)
Regulation From All Sides?--The FCC and FTC Tag-Team Privacy and Data Security
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission usually gets much of the glory for policing privacy and data security issues. For example, just a few months ago the FTC achieved a settlement requiring Fandango and Credit Karma to establish comprehensive data...(read more)
FTC Sues Debt Broker for Posting Debt Portfolios Online
by David Smyth, Securities Enforcement Attorney On October 31 st , the Federal Trade Commission sued St. Petersburg, Florida-based debt broker Bayview Solutions and two of its principals for posting the debt portfolios of 28,000 consumers online,...(read more)
The Reporter's Privilege: Where Does The Proposed Federal Shield Law Stand And What Impact Would It Have?
The right of journalists to refuse to testify regarding information or sources obtained as part of the news-gathering process, known as the reporter’s privilege, has been recognized by 49 of the 50 states and the District of Colombia. However, these...(read more)
First in Flight, Tops in Tech, Ascendant in UAS: Drones and North Carolina
The next time you go for a long hike in a national forest with no cell phone service, you might want to take a drone with you so that you can send for help when you break your leg, dehydrate, and need help. While you, as a non-commercial drone “...(read more)