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'Information Security 101'
Recent headlines have reported a startling number of security breaches and information thefts. A major university notified 120,000 of its alumni after a computer containing fundraising information including addresses and Social Security numbers was hacked by an unknown intruder; a subsidiary of the Lexis Nexis group announced that the records of 32,000 individuals may have fallen into the hands of thieves using the passwords of legitimate subscribers; Bank of America reported the loss of backup tapes containing the financial records of up to 1.2 million federal employees; payroll outsourcer PayMaxx faced allegations that it had exposed 25,000 customer records, including W-2 information, online; and cell phone provider T-Mobile released information about a hacker who was able to exploit a security weakness in a commercial software package to access customer records, sensitive government documents, private e-mail and candid celebrity photos.
These stories have caught the attention of federal lawmakers, who are proposing legislation to address the security vulnerabilities in a world where personal data is increasingly available through digital media. But computer security is already a matter of law for many companies that provide health benefits for their employees. April 20, 2005 was the effective date for regulations regarding the security of electronic health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA Security Rule). (Note, “Small health plans,” or those with less than $5 million in receipts, have an additional year to comply [April 20, 2006]. For further information on how to calculate “receipts” in determining whether your plan is “small,” go to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS] HIPAA Web site: www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/ hipaa2 /default.asp, select “Frequently Asked Questions” and then search for “small health plans.”) As was the case with the HIPAA Privacy requirements that went into effect in April 2003, all individual or group health plans that provide or pay for the cost of health care are covered. This means employer-sponsored medical plans, medical expense reimbursement accounts, and any separate dental and vision plans, whether provided through the purchase of insurance (fully insured plans) or paid directly out of company assets (self-insured plans).
Information Covered By the HIPAA Security Rule
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The Article 8 Opt In
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Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York
In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?
The Benefits of Blockchain for e-Discovery and Data Preservation
As businesses across various industries increasingly adopt blockchain, it will become a critical source of discoverable electronically stored information. The potential benefits of blockchain for e-discovery and data preservation are substantial, making it an area of growing interest and importance.