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Professor's
Tip of the Month |
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No more pencils, no more books...
But stay aware of web-based crooks!
School is out for summer, so kids will probably be spending more time on the Internet. (Let's get them outside to play, too!) Here are a few insightful examples you can use to keep your kids -- and yourself! -- safe online. Just click on the headlines to read the stories.
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION...
30 to 50 million homes are already outfitted with Smart Grid meters. Is yours? They key to embracing this amazing (but possibly confusing) new technology is understanding how it works and what information is transmitted. A recent article in the Denver Post sends a warning to consumers who might not be too keen on how SMART the Smart Grid actually is. (Did you know there are ways that smart appliances and smart meters can track when you wake, shower, watch TV and leave the home?) Get more information here.
This is a very fascinating topic to me, and one that I have been actively working on, helping ensure privacy protections are built into the Smart Grid. Since June 2009 I have been leading the NIST Smart Grid privacy group for establishing Smart Grid privacy recommendations. See more about this work here. |
THE PRIVACY PROFESSOR'S TIPS OF THE MONTH
Ah, the lazy days of summer: Celebrating Dad on Father's Day... splashing in ice cool water... worrying about health care privacy?
If that last point doesn't sound like part of your summer plans, check out these links and ask your health care providers what their policies and practices are for protecting your information:
Patient records found tossed in a dumpster.
Does your organization deal with patient information, or even work with an outside organization who may? Then you should know this:
The government is getting serious about cracking down on breaches and is coming down hard when an offense (whether intentional or not) happens. If your organization does not have a solid privacy and security program in place, functioning properly, and understood by everyone who touches personal information, you're behind the 8-ball, so to speak.
Larger organizations may have these controls in place (but not always), however, smaller offices are often at risk because there's no one on staff to enact and manage information security and privacy programs. According to the Small Business Association 99.7% of all employer firms are small businesses, and over half of all private sector employees work for these small firms. So, where there is a need for security and privacy on a smaller scale, there is a way.
Recently, I created Compliance Helper to help small- and medium-size businesses implement an effective information security and privacy system, since most don't have personnel with this level of experience or the funds to hire an employee who does. I invite you to learn more about this new tool, and welcome any questions you may have about it. Please click here to check it out.
Thank you for reading... now get outside and enjoy the weather!
Wishing you and your family a fun-filled and safe summer,
Rebecca
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Please do forward this email on to your friends, family and colleagues.
Let's work together to keep our business and personal information secure! |
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Content provided by:
Rebecca Herold, CISSP, CIPP, CISM, CISA, FLMI
Rebecca Herold & Associates, LLC
Mobile: 515.491.1564, Business: 515.996.2199
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