Month: April 2016

Proposed rule requires an accounting of detailed information for disclosures that affect a person’s rights or interests…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is proposing changes to the Privacy Rule, pursuant to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. HITECH is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“This proposed rule represents an important step in our continued efforts to promote accountability across the health care system, ensuring that providers properly safeguard private health information,” said OCR Director Georgina Verdugo. “We need to protect peoples’ rights so that they know how their health information has been used or disclosed.”

People would obtain this information by requesting an access report, which would document the particular persons who electronically accessed their protected health information. Although covered entities are currently required by the HIPAA Security Rule to track access to electronic protected health information, they are not required to share this information.

The proposed rule requires an accounting of more detailed information for certain disclosures that are most likely to affect a person’s rights or interests. The proposed changes to the accounting requirements provide information of value to individuals while placing a reasonable burden on covered entities and business associates.

Article provided by Human Health Services

Nearly half of all identity theft victims have difficulties…

The monetary costs of identity theft can be quite hefty. In fact, victims of identity theft lose an average of $2,000 to 15,000 in wages trying to deal with their cases. This is because victims spend between a day and 9 months trying to repair the financial damage caused by identity thieves, and some even spend up to a year trying to deal with their cases. On average, victims spend between $850 to $1400 in expenses related to their cases, which includes paperwork and any other legal fees.

As a result of identity theft, nearly half of all identity theft victims have difficulties obtaining credit and loans, and roughly 1/5 of victims have higher credit interest rates. Over 2/3 of victims have difficulties removing negative information from their credit scores.

The psychological impact of identity theft is also extensive on both the victims and their families. Victims often times experience anger, anxiety and depression as a result of losing their finances. Nearly half of all victims experience denial, disbelief, feel filed, and develop an inability to trust others, and over half feel unprotected by the police as well as experience rage.

IdentityTheftFacts.com

Strict security should be practiced when using smart phones, laptops, iPads . . .

Christopher Chaney, of Jacksonville Florida, has been accused of targeting the entertainment industry, by hacking into the personal e-mail accounts of celebrities. He was arrested after being charged with a range of cyber-related crimes. Investigators believe that Chaney used publicly available sources to mine for data about his victims, all of whom are associated with the entertainment industry.

Once Chaney gained access and control of an e-mail account, he would obtain private information, such as e-mails and file attachments, according to the indictment. In addition, investigators believe that Chaney was led to new victims by accessing the address books of victims whose computers he already controlled. “It’s important to remember that, although these victims appear to have been targeted based on their celebrity, similar methods may be used to illegally access any one of our computers,” said Steven Martinez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Strict computer security should be practiced when using smart phones, laptops, desktops, iPads, or any other device that provides Internet access.”

-Associated Press

Affecting an estimated 4.9 million beneficiaries in TRICARE Military Health program . . .

A breach affecting an estimated 4.9 million beneficiaries in the TRICARE military health program, as well as a Nemours children’s health system breach affecting 1.6 million, will soon be added to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights’ tally of major breaches. Once the incidents are added it will bring the total number of Americans affected by breaches to a whopping 18.5 million people.

Toys For Tots Campaign Begins . . .

Crown Shredding will serve as a donation drop off for “Toys for Tots”. We

make it even easier for our clients to donate, by picking up any donations you have, at the time of your scheduled service. Last day for pick-up will be December 20th, 2011, so toys can be delivered on time!! Thanks to all the generous hearts, who have donated toys, over the past four years! Without you, this program would not be possible!!

Thieves are using unsecured wireless networks to infiltrate smartphones . . .

Imagine this:  You’ve been invited to deliver a speech, to the United States Treasury Department, on Identity Theft.  The Conference will be held at Disney World, so you take your family along to enjoy the resort and parks.  When you return home you find you have become a victim of identity theft.  Likely, the thief used a smartphone to snap a picture of you purchasing an item, when you pulled out your credit card and ID for verification.

Thieves are also, now using unsecured wireless networks and infiltrating smartphones through Bluetooth technology.  Experts say it is best to have updated virus software, and to encrypt sensitive data and never type passwords or credit card number over an unsecured wireless network.  They also recommend that you keep your phone’s Bluetooth turned off unless you are actively using it and monitoring it, to prevent unauthorized access to the phone.

Info provided by Sarrelson Law

Identity Theft may have reached an all time low!

Crystal Thorne, 23, who worked as a coordinator at the Jewish Community Services of South Florida Office, in North Miami, was arrested on charges of selling “Holocaust Survivors” identity information, for a sum of $1,000. Thorne’s job gave her direct access to the personal information of client’s who regularly seek assistance from the Holocaust Survivor’s Assistance Program.

Information used to open credit cards and bank accounts. . .

Jonathan Morris II, the owner of St. Augustine-based cleaning company Mr. Janitor, was arrested for allegedly stealing personal information from some Eagle Harbor Country Club members.

According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Morris used that information to open credit cards and bank accounts in alleged victims’ names.  Morris is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing in January.  His charge is listed as identity theft of more than twenty persons or $50,000.

Customer account information included in breach . . .

Recently, the records of the large on line store Zappos.com were compromised. This breach affected 24 million customers. Included in the breach was customer account information, including names, email addresses, billing and shipping addresses, phone numbers and the last four digits of credit card numbers and encrypted passwords.

The questioned posed by some would be ” Why was Zappos holding on to this information? If the answer is they needed it , then why wasn’t it stored elsewhere and encrypted rather than stored in plain text, except for the initial passwords for access.”

A professor from Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law urges organizations to carefully review whether they are collecting and storing more data than they need and put a retention schedule in place. The simple rule is this, “The more data you have the more you are responsible for, which exponentially increases your risk.”