Klint Finley writes: Data collected from customers is routinely anonymized and then sold or otherwise disseminated for research purposes. But does anonymization work? One particularly high profile case was Netflix’s release of its customer data as part of its machine learning algorithm contest. According to Forbes’ firewall blog, researchers were able to de-anonymize some of this…
Category: Breaches
Judge Approves $2.4 Million Quantcast Privacy Settlement in Flash Cookies Lawsuit
Joe Mullin writes: So-called “Flash cookies” got some headlines in the online privacy world last year, after some prominent researchers noted that they were sometimes being used to track users—even users who took steps to protect their privacy, like clearing their regular (HTTP) cookies. Flash cookies were mentioned by the FTC as a problem, and…
Congresswoman Bono Mack’s data breach bill to be taken up in Congress Wednesday
Discussion Draft of H.R. ___, a bill to require greater protection for sensitive consumer data and timely notification in case of breach June 15, 2011 The start time for the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee hearing scheduled for Wednesday, June 15, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building has been changed. The…
Police: Mac technician installed spyware to photograph women
Robert McMillan reports: He was hired to fix their computers, but police say that Trevor Harwell instead installed spyware software that took candid photos of his clients in various states of undress. Harwell had been a Macintosh specialist with a Los Angeles-area home computer repair company called Rezitech. That’s how he allegedly had the opportunity to…