PRIVACY + SECURITY BLOG

News, Developments, and Insights

high-tech technology background with eyes on computer display

Facebook Privacy Sherpas, the Internet of Things, and Other Privacy + Security Updates

By Daniel J. Solove and Paul M. Schwartz This post is co-authored with Professor Paul M. Schwartz. This post is part of a post series where we round up some of the interesting news and resources we’re finding. For a PDF version of this post, and for archived issues of previous posts, click here.

The Funniest Hacker Stock Photos

By Daniel J. Solove   I produce computer-based privacy and data security training, so I’m often in the hunt for stock photos. One of the hardest things in the world to do is to find a stock photo of a hacker that doesn’t look absolutely ridiculous. I’ve gone through hundreds of hacker stock photos, and […]

The Worst Password Ever Created

by Daniel J. Solove People create some very bad passwords. In the list of the most popular passwords of 2014, all of them are terrible. Just look at the top 10: 123456 password 12345 12345678 Qwerty 123456789 1234 baseball dragon football

The $500,000 Value of Data Security Awareness Training

by Daniel J. Solove It has long been difficult to quantify the ROI of data security awareness training. But finally, I have been able to locate a number. According to a 2014 PricewaterhouseCoopers study: “The financial value of employee awareness is even more compelling. Organizations that do not have security awareness programs—in particular, training for […]

Verifying Identity: From One Foolish Way to Another

Social Security Numbers

For quite some time, banks and financial institutions have been using people’s Social Security Numbers (SSNs) to verify their identities. Suppose you want to access your bank account to check your balance, change addresses, or close out the account. You call the bank, but how does the bank know it’s really you? For a while, […]