YOU ARE RELIABLE!!

The bottom line with this trend in the law is that it is the responsibility of every computer owner to take adequate and appropriate steps to protect their computer(s). There have been many cases where an individual was mistakenly arrested and hauled off to jail because their home computer was used to attack a business or a government agency. In all cases, the people arrested were a victim of a hacker break-in where their computer was taken over and turned into a zombie, and then used by the hacker to attack another computer, to send spam, or to distribute pornography. The lives of innocent people are being turned upside down, and they are guilty of only one thing - not protecting their computer(s)! It's a good idea not to risk this kind of personal liability.

There are several recent laws that have been enacted that require businesses and professionals protect the information on their computer systems. These laws demand that businesses protect the private information of their customers from hackers and other breaches of privacy. Here are a couple of the more well-known privacy protection laws related to businesses:

The Graham Leach Bliley Act (GLBA)requires all financial institutions and other professionals that deal with other people's money to protect their customer's information. This includes banks, credit unions, financial planners, stockbrokers, CPAs, mortgage companies, insurance agents, and many other groups.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)requires all healthcare related organizations to protect a patient's private health information. This includes health plans, doctors, hospitals, dentists, and other related healthcare organizations.

FACTS:

. Under some laws, the penalties for not protecting your customer's private information can be as stiff as a $250,000 fine and 10 years jail time.

. Several states, like California, are enacting new laws at the state level that requires businesses of all types and sizes to protect customer information, and to report any attacks to their own customers and the government.