Email Law and related issues show importance of IT "alignment"

The growth in the need for business to embrace an alignment of legal challenges with IT use, is shown in the recently announced record revenues shown in RenewData's latest results.



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Privacy law restrictions in Germany won't hold back releasing Nazi records

Despite it's highly restrictive privacy laws and after decades of holding back, Germany took a major step Tuesday toward opening Nazi records on 17 million Jews, slave laborers and other Holocaust victims to historians and relatives long anxious for conclusive information about their fate, as reported in Guardian Unlimited

Germany pledged to work with the United States to ensure the opening of the archives, which are housed in the German town Bad Arolsen. Eleven nations oversee the 30 million to 50 million documents and are to meet in Luxembourg next month to consider amending a 1955 treaty that has, effectively, limited access and copying.

Privacy law restrictions in Germany won't hold back releasing Nazi records

Despite it's highly restrictive privacy laws and after decades of holding back, Germany took a major step Tuesday toward opening Nazi records on 17 million Jews, slave laborers and other Holocaust victims to historians and relatives long anxious for conclusive information about their fate, as reported in Guardian Unlimited/a>

Germany pledged to work with the United States to ensure the opening of the archives, which are housed in the German town Bad Arolsen. Eleven nations oversee the 30 million to 50 million documents and are to meet in Luxembourg next month to consider amending a 1955 treaty that has, effectively, limited access and copying.

Workplace privacy and other issues : Even the White House don't get it

We may like to think our political masters know it all when it comes to email and privacy security issues but, of course, we'd be wrong. As pointed out in ZD Net's 'Between the Lines' a trip to the White House can expose the sheer dumbness of those in charge. As Phil Windley points out:

"This isn't a problem of stupid politicians, it's really a lack of an enterprise approach to security and privacy. Each congressional office is acting as an independent entity and consequently, they're making security and privacy decisions on their own, with no system support for the work they want to do. So, they use email as a workflow tool. This isn't a government IT problem. You can experience this problem in lots of organizations in one form or another.

"Moreover, I don't think there's anything odd about using the SSN. The SSN is useful here for the same reason it's interesting to criminals: it's the key to lots of other data. I suspect that the congressional office sends the SSN off to Capitol Police or some other law enforcement agency and they use it, the name, and the date of birth as the basis for a search of a criminal justice network. Works great."

Privacy law and the "sleeping tiger" : Lawsuit alleges HIPAA is a toothless tiger

A privacy law lawsuit by Nurse Barbara Clark of Sacramento is seeking the help of Debra Wong Yang, the U.S. Attorney serving Los Angeles to seek a criminal indictment against a hospital attorney. According to Clark nearly $4 billion dollars a year is spent by the medical community to comply with HIPAA privacy rules, largely under threat of criminal enforcement for malicious data breaches. But, she points out, to date there have been only two convictions of individuals violating HIPAA. “The industry is beginning to realize that HIPAA is a toothless tiger, the threat is gone,” Clark said.

Public Figures - are they hiding behind privacy law?

Privacy law issues and public figures has long been subject of debate and argument but a Sunday Times report indicates that Britain's Justice Minister is ready to "Now Michael McDowell, the justice minister, is ready to bring plans for a new privacy law to the cabinet. In theory, this legislation has been necessitated by a European Court of Human Rights ruling that found Princess Caroline of Monaco had her privacy infringed when she was photographed with a male companion in a French cafe.

Many commentators suspect this justification is fortuitous, say the Sunday Times, and that the real enthusiasm for the measure comes from some ministers’ annoyance at “unacceptable media intrusion” into their private lives. One privacy proponent is believed to be Martin Cullen, the transport minister, who found himself at the receiving end of some hard-hitting reportage when it emerged that Monica Leech, his political associate, had been awarded about €300,000 in consultancy contracts by government departments.

Privacy Law: Dazed and Confused - Data Law Disarray

Privacy law's confusing turmoil of conflicting and contradictory laws has left the humble users - the business owners and individuals trying to fathom what it all means - at the cross roads trying to cross. Businessweek's article looks at the Data Law Disarray

Email Risk - The Email report tells you about your early warning system

LawFuel's Email Report indicates how the use of a good email policy will provide an early warning system for issues that can come to haunt an employer. Sexual or other harassment issues, for instance, offensive emails, improper usage of the network. Although a single e-mail can create a devastating effect for an individual or company, the fact is that placing proper protection around the use of the system will guard against potential danger.

“Taking steps” is one of the main determinants of employer liability and having a robust e-mail policy is an essential step towards minimizing liability for any company. Just ensure the policy is also enforced and not merely window-dressing for a rainy day, probably in a courthouse somewhere. More details in LawFuel's Email Report