Facebook leaks 6 million users’ contact information
25 June, 2013Facebook has revealed that it inadvertently leaked the contact information of about six million of its users since last year.
NSA spy scandal recap: Snowden disappears; Europe unhappy with surveillance; Tech companies push back
18 June, 2013The recent exposure of the US National Security Agency’s (NSA) previously secret electronic surveillance program, PRISM, has triggered a glut of news stories around the globe over the last couple of weeks. Here’s a quick guide to the last week’s events.
IF Telecom leaks customer data; Google to drop US$1.3 billion on social mapping dev Waze
11 June, 2013Australian telco IF Telecom leaks customer details via a publicly accessible server, and Google is reportedly set to buy social mapping developer Waze for more than US$1 billion.
ASIO blueprints stolen by Chinese hackers - or were they?
03 June, 2013Adding even more ambiguity to the ASIO building blueprint hack story that first surfaced last week, Australian national security officials have denied reports that building plans for ASIO’s new headquarters were stolen by Chinese hackers.
US has evidence of Apple e-book conspiracy; Privacy commish probes Telstra over data breach
28 May, 2013 by Andrew CollinsA US judge reckons that the country’s Justice Department has evidence showing that Apple conspired to raise e-book prices; and in local news, the federal privacy commissioner has launched an investigation into Telstra’s recent leak of some customers’ personal data.
Revealed: draft Australian data breach laws
07 May, 2013Details of potential data breach notification laws in Australia were revealed last week when the Federal Attorney-General’s Department shared its Exposure Draft Privacy Amendment (Privacy Alerts) Bill 2013 with a small number of key stakeholders.
The personalisation conundrum: using website personalisation without alienating customers
07 May, 2013 by Andrew CollinsPersonalisation is one of the most polarising aspects of e-commerce today: while many website operators love the potential benefits to their bottom line, users often consider it a breach of privacy and a corruption of the levelling effect the internet has on markets around the globe.
Privacy Watch: NZ Govt leaks 83,000 citizens’ data; Microsoft hands over Aussie cloud user data to cops
02 April, 2013 by Andrew CollinsIn privacy news, the NZ government’s Earthquake Commission leaks 83,000 citizens’ personal data, while Microsoft details how it handed over information of about 2600 Australian users to authorities.
Start preparing for Privacy Bill changes
05 March, 2013Australian organisations should act now and start preparing for next year’s changes to privacy law, lest they breach the new rules and cop a huge fine.
Govt’s data retention plans “really bad”; Juniper routers at risk; China behind Twitter hack?
05 February, 2013 by Andrew CollinsIn news this week: web legend Sir Tim Berners-Lee calls the Australian government’s data retention plans “really, really bad”; Juniper reveals a critical flaw in its routers; and the world speculates on who was behind the recent massive attack on Twitter.
Data security lessons from the Petraeus scandal
09 January, 2013 by Andrew CollinsThe Petraeus scandal - the story of the resignation of the Director of the CIA following an investigation into harassing emails sent by his mistress - provides not just an insight into the lives of top spies, but also serves as a reminder that no one is exempt from digital privacy breaches.
Eleven tips for SMB information security
15 August, 2012 by Michael McKinnon, Security Advisor, AVG Australia and New ZealandSmall to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are becoming the preferred target of cybercriminals, since they are less likely to have strong security in place. Michael McKinnon, Security Advisor, AVG Australia and New Zealand, provides some tips for SMBs looking to reduce their chances of being compromised by cybercriminals.
How to select a cloud storage provider
07 August, 2012There’s a lot riding on your choice of cloud provider - pick the wrong one and you could end up a headline in the next data breach news story. However, picking between these providers can be confusing.
Cost of data breaches continues to rise
30 March, 2012The average cost of data breaches on Australian organisations has risen for the third year in a row, reaching $2.16 million in 2011, according to a study from Symantec and the Ponemon Institute.
Half of Australian organisations lose data through mobile devices
08 March, 2012A global study on mobility risks, conducted by the Ponemon Institute and sponsored by content security provider Websense, has revealed that corporate mobile devices and employee-owned devices (bring-your-own-devices) are circumventing enterprise security and mobile device usage policies in Australia.
