Fast forward to today. We are still experiencing many of the very same data security issues, such as credit card numbers and tax IDs and other personal information being hacked/stolen. There are also still many vulnerable voting machines around the country that are being (and have been) hacked, resulting in fraudulent elections. (Here is a link to a current article in TechCrunch about one voting machine vendor finally offering to create machines with paper backups after refusing to do so despite it being demonstrated by the white hat hacking community that their machines could easily be hacked to change votes. Note that nowhere in the article does it say they will fix the existing machines currently being used.)
The failures by companies to acknowledge all these data security issues and truly fix them these many years later is both mind-boggling and an ongoing serious threat. The failure of Congress and the other branches of the government of the United States to take action on these issues of individual privacy and security and the integrity of our elections continues to cause serious damage to our safety, security, and indeed, our democracy.
It is way past time that these issues were addressed and resolved.
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Links to articles written between 2006 and 2008 regarding data privacy and security. As you read them you will come to realize that most of the problems are still with us.
May 2006: Data Security: An Oxymoron
August 2006: Data Security: An Oxymoron - continued
January 2007: So how secure is your PC?
March 2007: Privacy and Security Watch: Stolen Data from TJX (T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores) since 2003 Used in $8M Scheme Before Breach Discovery
April 2007: Privacy and Security Watch: More Security/Identity Breaches and Issues
May 2007: Privacy and Security Watch: University of Missouri Hacked For Second Time This Year
May 2007: Privacy and Security Watch: IBM loses tapes with personal information on current and former employees
September 2007: Privacy and Security Watch: Are you giving away your personal or corporate data to thieves?
May 2008: Updated: Privacy & Security Watch: Beware of fake emails appearing to be from the IRS
June 2008: Privacy & Security Watch: TJX Fires Employee for Disclosing Security Problems
June 2008: Privacy & Security Watch: Diebold Summer Sale Offers Used Voting Machines
Richard L. Kuper
The Kuper Report
