The expansion of cyber consumerism—buying and selling products over the Internet, or engaging in business over the Internet—has called into the question whether international laws are equipped to protect consumers in their online transactions. Indeed, online business often takes place over several countries, implicating the legal standards in those countries.…
Employees, in the course of their employment, will often have broad access to company files. If employees are terminated or seek other employment, such access can become problematic. Indeed, companies store sensitive and commercially valuable information on their servers. Employee misuse of these files can substantially weaken a company’s economic…
In recent years, there has been an increase in cyber-attacks directed towards usernames and passwords for online banking accounts. Through these attacks, outside parties have been able to misuse banking information for fraudulent wire transfers. Hackers have starting using foreign accounts because it is more difficult to recover funds when…
In general, both copyright and patent laws provide different levels of protection for computer software. Additionally, depending on the aspects of software that an owner wants to protect, these two areas of law will apply differently. Furthermore, securing a patent is a more rigorous process. However, a patent does provide…
In 2013, Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee, and National Security Agency (“NSA”) contractor, leaked top secret documents to the public. These documents detailed the NSA’s controversial electronic surveillance practices and procedures, sparking a debate about wiretapping and privacy laws. Snowden revealed that the government employed questionable electronic surveillance programs.…
In recent years, online transactions, such as activities on social media networks, have exposed personal privacy to greater risks. With so much personal information available over the Internet, it is increasingly important to be aware of the applicable laws, so that your privacy is better enforced and protected. The risks…
On December 19, 2013, Target issued a statement confirming a major security breach. According to the statement, approximately 40 million customers were at risk for identity theft because of the breach. Hackers had gained access to customer information, including their names, credit card numbers, debit card numbers, card expiration dates,…
Cyber criminals are very skilled in singling out vulnerable targets for online schemes. For instance, senior citizens are ideal candidates for cyber fraud or Internet fraud because they are more likely to have large amounts of money saved up, and they tend to have better credit, making schemes more profitable…
A business’s trade secrets are an essential component of its foundation, growth, and development. A trade secret is any sort of confidential and proprietary information that a company seeks to protect from unauthorized access. For example, a trade secret, includes a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, or process…
In recent times, the threat of privacy invasions has spread far beyond domestic governmental agencies, but to also include foreign and international governments. Do you travel outside of the United States? Do you travel with electronic devices, such as a cellphone or laptop? Do these devices hold any sensitive information,…