On Friday, May 12, companies in countries across the globe witnessed an unprecedented malware outbreak as ransomware labeled “WannaCry” and “Wanna Decryptor” infected a large range of critical systems. The malware exploits a vulnerability in older versions of Microsoft’s Windows, locks the systems it infects, and threatens to delete files unless a bitcoin ransom is […]
Cybersecurity
New York Attorney General Announces Record Number of Data Breach Notices in 2016
On March 21, 2017, New York Attorney General (NYAG) Eric T. Schneiderman announced that his office had received a record breaking 1,282 data breach notices to his office affecting 1.6 million New York residents during 2016. Compared to 2015, these figures represent a 60 percent increase in the number of notices and a 300 percent […]
Australia Adopts New Data Breach Notification Legislation
On February 13, 2017 Australia became one more among nation states adopting data breach notification legislation. In recent House and Senate votes, the Australian Parliament amended the Privacy Act 1988, introducing mandatory data breach notification requirements for entities regulated by the Privacy Act. Who is Subject to the New Legislation? The recent bill requires entities […]
New York Financial Services Regulator Issues Revisions to Proposed Cybersecurity Regulation
Today, the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) released a revised version of the proposed cybersecurity regulations that it first issued in September. According to a press release issued by DFS Superintendent Vullo, the new version of the proposed rules will be finalized following a 30-day notice and public comment period. Among the most […]
Center for Cyber & Homeland Security Issues Report on How the Private Sector Can Actively Defend Against Cyber Threats
Earlier this year, the Center for Cyber & Homeland Security at the George Washington University (“Center”) announced a new project on active defense against cyber threats. The Center established a high-level task force to examine these issues. The task force included prominent cybersecurity and industry experts, including Alston & Bird partner Michael Zweiback. The Task Force […]