On November 1st of last year, businesses became subject to new mandatory breach reporting regulations under Canada’s federal private sector privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
With tax season approaching, many businesses are pulling together mass mailings to send out to customers. The information these mailings contain is likely pretty sensitive – names, addresses, social insurance numbers and financial details. You don’t want it falling into the wrong hands!
Ransomware is a type of malicious software (malware) which, when installed on a device or system, prevents access to that device, or that device’s content or applications. Once installed and operational, the malware prompts you to pay a ransom to restore full functionality to the device. Personal or sensitive data have been targeted with ransomware, or accessed when attackers were rifling through organizational computers or networks. In fact ransomware has affected a range of devices, including those running Windows, OS X, and Android, and has affected healthcare providers, police services, public schools, universities, and various types of businesses, in addition to individual consumer users. It’s an increasingly prevalent issue, with Symantec estimating that Canadians were affected by over 1,600 ransomware attacks a day in 2015.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) announced today that it is launching an investigation into a breach involving the personal information about more than half a million clients of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and 250 departmental employees.
Privacy and surveillance have always been compelling themes in pop culture, and Hollywood has certainly used the concepts to great effect. Below, in no particular order, is our own selection of the best films with a privacy theme.
An Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) survey of 1,006 companies across Canada shows that many businesses are not employing recommended technological tools or practices to protect the digitally-stored personal information of their customers.
A report by Verizon highlights some extremely troubling trends about the types of data breaches occurring around the globe and also how organizations of all sizes are failing to adequately respond to new threats.