This week, employers were reminded of some of the perils of going digital, including increased vulnerability of confidential information. Three different companies experienced three different types of a data breach. Merrill Lynch claims its information was breached by two former employees who used their company passwords to steal customer contact information in an attempt to get the customers to leave with them. Winn-Dixie was caught up in litigation after a class of employees discovered that their personal employee data was improperly accessed through the company's employee purchase program. The program vendor ended up paying about $430,000 to settle the case. Lastly, a Florida hospital's patient information was breached by current employees. The two employees were paid over $10,000 by a third party for confidential patient information that was later used to solicit customers for medical and legal services.
Technology and the Workplace
Suspended Veterinarian Challenges Ban on Internet Advice (ABA Journal) (ABC)
Merrill Lynch Says Ex-Advisors Stole Client Info (Law 360)
Man Who Paid Hospital Workers for Patient Info to See Medial and Legal Services Gets 4 Years (ABA Journal) (Orlando Sentinel)
Winn-Dixie Employee Settles Data Breach Row (Law 360) (Jacksonville Business Journal)
7th Cir. Won't Resurrect Employer Email Hack Suit (Law 360)
Technology and the Law
Unlikely Allies Join in a Push to Require Warrant for Access to Digital Communications (ABA Journal)
CA Court Upholds Ticket for GPS Use While Driving (ABC) (Mashable)
IRS Doesn't Think "Reasonable Expectation of Privacy" Applies to Your Emails (Slate) (NBC)
If You Hate Red-Light Cameras, You'll Really Hate Speeding Ticket Robots (ARS Technica)
TV-Streaming Service Aereo Wins Latest Court Battle, But Broadcasters Call It Piracy (NBC)
There's an App for That
5 Services to Boot Email Productivity (Mashable)
Hacker Says Phone App Could Hijack Plane (CNN)
9 Great Apps and Gadgets to Help Your Garden Grow (Mashable)
Baby Name Blues? 10 Apps to Help You Choose (Mashable)
New Mobile App to Allow Motorists to Pay for Street Parking by Phone (NY Daily News)
The information contained in this post is provided to alert you to legal developments and should not be considered legal advice. It is not intended to and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Specific questions about how this information affects your particular situation should be addressed to one of the individuals listed. No representations or warranties are made with respect to this information, including, without limitation, as to its completeness, timeliness, or accuracy, and Lathrop GPM shall not be liable for any decision made in connection with the information. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements.
RSS Feed