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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Incident Reporting, School Safety, Workplace Violence

I recently caught a Dr. Phil segment focusing on bullying in schools…yes, I was watching Dr. Phil! Bullying in schools is a serious problem that has escalated to include verbal and cyber harassment, physical beatings, social humiliation and death threats.  In several cases, the bullying victims have even resorted to suicide to escape the tormenting of their peers.    On the show, Dr. Phil offered insight and advice on bullying targeted at tween girls.   Dr. Phil’s web site offers suggestions on how to launch an anti-bullying campaign with pledges for students, parents, teachers and faculty.  An excerpt from the Student Pledge is below: We theRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Information Privacy, Legal, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management

In this Network World article, a US District Court Judge in California ordered Google to deactivate the Gmail account of a User who accidentally received personally identifiable information.  An employee of Rocky Mountain Bank sent an e-mail to the User’s account in error containing names, Social Security Numbers and loan information of more than 1300 bank customers.  Once the employee realized their mistake, they quickly sent a follow-up e-mail requesting that the recipient destroy the previous e-mail and contact Rocky Mountain Bank as soon as possible.  After receiving no reply from the recipient, the bank contacted Google and asked for information on the Gmail accountRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Human Resources, Information Security, Regulatory Compliance

Awareity’s CEO/President, Rick Shaw, is planning to share his knowledge and expertise at several upcoming events in the Lincoln/Omaha area.  October 13 – HRAM Omaha October 15 – AITP Omaha November 19  – AITP Lincoln March 17 – ARMA Lincoln Previous blog posts and every day headlines reveal organizations are struggling to keep up with escalating complexities.  So how can lessons learned help organizations keep up more effectively and efficiently? Rick will discuss real world examples and case studies to share proven steps organizational leaders can use to implement lessons learned and improve management efforts across all appropriate personnel – no matter how many departments,Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Information Security, Legal, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management

Two recent headlines caught my attention: Construction Company Sues Bank for Money Lost in Cyber Scam Couple’s Lawsuit Against Bank Over Breach to Move Forward In both of these cases, banks are being sued for not taking adequate precautions that could have prevented cyber thieves from stealing money from the customers’ accounts.  The customers claim that the banks did not offer two-factor authentication and also failed to notice suspicious and anomalous behavior.  Therefore, the customers are claiming that the banks breached their duty to protect account holder information. These lawsuits could have significant ramifications and I will be curious to see the final outcome.  ShouldRead More →

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In: Success

Awareness and Accountability Critical for Faculty and Staff Nestled in the New River Valley of Virginia, Radford University (RU) enrolls over 9000 students and offers a vast array of academic opportunities. Recently named one of Princeton Review’s “Best in Southeast”, the University is always looking for ways to connect the dots, mitigate risks and improve efficiencies across campus. To ensure safety, security and privacy, RU implemented Awareity’s award‐winning MOAT (Managed Ongoing Awareness & Trust) to address mounting challenges. MOAT enables all university personnel and third‐parties (faculty, employees, supervisors, vendors, contractors, suppliers, etc.) to better understand their roles and responsibilities and comply with new and updatedRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Emergency Management, Human Resources, Incident Reporting, Information Privacy, Information Security, School Safety

Please take a moment to consider how these Lessons Learned could be implemented by managers within your organization to avoid expensive and embarrassing situations… FBI Investigating Mystery Laptops Sent to Governors The FBI is investigating five laptop computers sent anonymously to West Virginia Governor Joe Mahchin a few weeks ago, as well as laptops mysteriously ordered for officials in 10 other states.  Officials are worried the laptops may contain malicious software that would be a large risk if connected to government networks. Would your employees plug in a new laptop to your organization’s networks? Bernanke Falls Victim to Identity Theft Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke wasRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Human Resources, Legal

The headline of a story caught my eye last week – Marriott Disowns One Hotel’s Defense in Rape Case. It seems Marriott International is seeking to distance itself from a Marriott franchise hotel’s legal defense tactic and released this statement: “This incident is not reflective of our corporate culture or ethical standards, and we apologize to all of our guests and customers who were so deeply offended by the words used in the legal pleading.” The court case stems from a situation where a woman was raped at gunpoint in front of her children in a hotel parking garage, which was obviously a horrible experienceRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Information Privacy, Information Security, Regulatory Compliance

Please take a moment to consider how these Lessons Learned could be implemented by managers within your organization to avoid expensive and embarrassing situations… U.S. Government Advises Businesses on Swine Flu. Government officials are calling on U.S. businesses to help manage the H1N1 flu this fall by developing customized plans for managing both the seasonal and swine flu, getting vaccines to vulnerable workers and encouraging employees with symptoms to stay home. Court indicts Hackers in Largest Data Breaches in US History A federal grand jury in New Jersey indicted Albert “Segvec” Gonzalez in the largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted. Gonzalez was involvedRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Information Privacy, Information Security, Regulatory Compliance

Health and Human Services (HHS) issued new regulations this week requiring healthcare providers, health plans and other entities covered by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) to notify patients if their electronic health information has been breached. The regulations were developed by HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and require healthcare providers and other HIPAA covered entities to promptly notify people, the HHS and the media in breaches that affect more than 500 people. Earlier this week, HHS announced that they delegated the authority for the administration and enforcement of the HIPAA Security Rule to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Any lessons learnedRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Information Privacy, Information Security, Regulatory Compliance

In case you missed it, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has delegated the authority for the administration and enforcement of HIPAA Security Rule to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).  In the article Secretary Sebelius commented: “Security and privacy of health information are increasingly intersecting as the department works with the health industry to adopt electronic health records and participate in an even greater level of electronic exchange of health information. Privacy and security are naturally intertwined, because they both address protected health information. Combining the enforcement authority in one agency within HHS will facilitate improvements by eliminating duplication and increasing efficiency.”Read More →