Bank’s new cybersecurity audits catch law firms flat-footed

Under pressure from federal regulators, who are concerned about lax cybersecurity at law firms, the Bank of America Merrill Lynch has begun conducting audits on the law firms it does business with, to verify what they are doing to protect sensitive information. Although experts have been warning for some time…

Jun 13, 2013 9:10 PM CDT

ACLU sues Obama administration over NSA phone-records ‘dragnet’

In the first step in a process that could eventually lead to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the legality of a sweeping telephone records review revealed last week by a former National Security Agency contractor, the American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday sued the Obama administration over its “dragnet”…

Jun 11, 2013 9:25 PM CDT

Surveillance leaker checks out of Hong Kong hotel as US readies charges

Where is Edward Snowden? The man who disclosed the wide sweep of the United States surveillance program has checked out of his Hong Kong hotel as the U.S. Justice Department readies charges against him. Snowden’s location is unknown, report the New York Times and the Associated Press. The Justice Department…

Jun 11, 2013 11:58 AM CDT

Fired worker and husband take plea in law firm computer hacking case

Two remaining defendants have taken misdemeanor pleas in a federal case over unauthorized intrusion into a downtown Pittsburgh law firm’s computer system. Alyson L. Cunningham, and her husband, Jonathan A. Cunningham, pleaded guilty Tuesday to trafficking in passwords and damaging a protected computer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Federal prosecutors say…

Jun 4, 2013 5:05 PM CDT

Court-martial begins in WikiLeaks case for soldier Bradley Manning

A military trial opened Monday at Fort Meade, Md., for a soldier accused of providing to WikiLeaks a massive trove of classified documents that some consider more momentous than the Pentagon Papers provided to the New York Times nearly 40 years ago concerning the Vietnam War. Pfc. Bradley Manning is…

Jun 3, 2013 7:40 PM CDT

This Pineapple can intercept Wi-Fi traffic

Jun 1, 2013 7:10 AM CDT

Firms are at risk of security breaches inside and out

Jun 1, 2013 7:00 AM CDT

Journalists threatened after finding massive data security lapse

A team of investigative reporters landed in hot water after finding a massive data security lapse that put hundreds of people at serious risk of identity theft. Journalists for the Scripps News Service notified Lifeline, the federal program for low-income Americans that offers a discounted phone service, within hours of…

May 24, 2013 7:45 PM CDT

Stunned by $45M cyberheist, banks have limited options for trying to recover money

It isn’t just bank customers who can see their funds vanish in a short time, with little or no recourse, when hackers take over their accounts. As a $45 million cyberheist revealed last week illustrates, banks themselves can have much the same problem. Two Middle Eastern banks lost the money…

May 13, 2013 4:35 PM CDT

ABA helps lawyers thrive by being at the forefront of new practice areas

May 1, 2013 9:50 AM CDT

ABA opinion cautions judges to avoid ethics pitfalls of social media

May 1, 2013 6:40 AM CDT

Judge puts the brakes on law firm’s suit over similar domain name, says bad faith not yet shown

A New York legal boutique known for its expertise in counterfeiting and cybersquatting cases is experiencing a frustrating delay in obtaining a relief against a Canadian computer programmer who they allege set up a website with a name almost identical to the law firm’s. Although GIOCONDOLAW.com is easily confused with…

Apr 30, 2013 9:03 PM CDT

Claimed Anonymous member takes plea in law firm computer hacking case

A 21-year-old who claimed to be a member of the Anonymous hacking collective took a plea Monday in a case over an alleged unauthorized intrusion into a Pittsburgh law firm’s computer. Matthew James West pleaded guilty to unlawful trafficking in computer passwords and reckless damage to a protected computer, both…

Apr 29, 2013 8:12 PM CDT

Indicted journalist is out at Reuters. Were Boston Marathon tweets a factor?

A deputy social media editor at Reuters says he has lost his job after being federally indicted on charges he helped the hacking group Anonymous deface a former employer’s news website. Matthew Keys said in a tweet and a Tumblr post that he plans to fight what he described as…

Apr 23, 2013 6:09 PM CDT

King & Spalding blocks employee access to personal email accounts, but offers an alternative

Citing security concerns, a major law firm has blocked its workers from accessing their personal email on its computers. In a memo to employees on Monday, King & Spalding said it had been advised by consultants that accessing personal email accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail from the law…

Apr 16, 2013 7:30 PM CDT