Privacy Monday

Privacy Tidbits to start your week  

The Risk-Benefit Analysis of BYOD

As we have written in the past, the proliferation of the “bring your own device” (BYOD) trend is a high-wire balancing act for IT and privacy professionals.    What happens when employees leave the workplace with company assets on those devices that they own??   Does your company have a BYOD policy?    Have you compartmentalized the risks?   What about your ex-US employees? Think about it now – later may be too late.

An article in InfoWorld highlights steps companies can take to protect vulnerable data.

Apple Settlement for In-App Purchases Made by Minors

In-app purchases were dealt a sharp blow from Apple last week, after it quietly agreed to return $100 million to shoppers who say their children either made purchases accidentally or did so without permission.   What does this bode for e-tailers?

Read more: In-App Purchases By Children Dealt A Major Blow—Courtesy Of Apple – FierceRetail

Zip Code Class Actions Come to Washington DC

Urban Outfitters joins the list of national retailers facing class action lawsuits over allegations of collection of customer zip codes in violation of state consumer protection laws.   This latest has been filed in federal court in the District of Columbia.

We have written about suits in Massachusetts against Guitar Center, Bed Bath & Beyond and an important decision in a case against Michaels Stores, as well as the daddy of all consumer zip code suits, Pineda v. Williams-Sonoma, filed in California in 2011.

Survey Says:   Two-Thirds (yes, TWO-THIRDS) of Employees Surveyed Knowingly Violate Privacy/Security Policies

The Financial Times conducted a survey over several years on company data security policies and procedures.   Of the 165,000 employees surveys, 93 percent knowingly violate policies designed to prevent data breaches.   And just in case you needed any reinforcement, the Financial Times survey reported that it also found senior executives to be the worst offenders.

Sound familiar?  ”More than one-third of staff  … admitted to writing down critical passwords where they can be stolen, such as on post-it notes. Other common missteps included copying sensitive documents on to portable drives and sharing passwords with colleagues.”