In general, computer crime is a term that covers a variety of crimes involving internet or computer use that may be prosecuted under state or federal laws. Because of the rise in computer crimes, California state laws include provisions that prohibit these violations. In addition, other states have passed computer…
On June 4, 2015, four million current and former federal employees were informed that China-based hackers were suspected of gaining access to and compromising their personally identifiable information (PII) via a breach of government computer networks. The scope of the attack has allowed it to be described as one of…
On May 26, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) announced that criminals illegally accessed data to retrieve the past tax returns of approximately 100,000 individuals through the IRS website. The criminals managed to use social security numbers, birth dates, street addresses, and “out of wallet” data (e.g., person’s first car,…
The recent cyberattack on Anthem, Inc., one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States, illustrates the persistence and severity of the risk of data breaches. On February 4, 2015, Anthem confirmed that one of its databases had been hacked. The data breach exposed personal information of approximately…
Online banking is an electronic payment system that enables customers of a financial institution to conduct financial transactions on the web. In today’s high-tech world, online banking fraud is committed on a daily basis. As such, sometimes customers may not be liable for certain unauthorized online transactions, subject to the…
In recent times, e-residencies (a/k/a “electronic residency”) have become a trend in some European societies. For example, the Republic of Estonia implemented this concept into its banking systems in order to permit people to manage their funds in an electronic environment. According to the Information System Authority, in 2001, the…
In recent years, much of consumer retail consumption has transitioned to the online marketplace. So, many of us engage in e-commerce, especially when shopping for the upcoming holiday season. While e-commerce is convenient and easy, consumers are becoming more aware of the risks posed by hackers that commit online fraud.…
The purchase of commercial general liability and umbrella insurance policies are ways to protect your business from liability. However, these types of policies have not adapted to protect policyholders from certain types of cyber liability. This issue was recently exposed in a case against Urban Outfitters, Inc., and its subsidiary,…
Peer-to-peer networks have provided an invaluable service that allows users to share information and data around the world. These networks became popular for media sharing, culminating in the infamous Napster scandal. Many are aware of the copyright issues that arise with the use of peer-to-peer media sharing. However, there are…
In the past, to start a business you had to find a location, rent space, and open your doors to the public. Today, many entrepreneurs can do it all online by advertising, communicating with customers, and managing transactions using the web. Many entrepreneurs are interested in starting a new business…