Category Archives: Personal privacy

Privacy Advice – Don’t Lose Your iPhone

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Don’t lose your iPhone, Android or Blackberry!

iPhone 4s (Apple Corp.)

Message systems will show more than you want to the person who finds your phone, like your email accounts, your contacts and your message conversations. That’s been a problem for a people whose phones have been stolen. Same goes for laptops, the “found laptop” can show not only your personal information but confidential information about your business or company.

Solution – on laptops use encryption and complex passwords. There are complex solutions your IT department can implement to protect smartphones such as “MobileIron, Sybase Afaria, AirWatch, Tangoe and even RIM’s recently announced BlackBerry Mobile Fusion. Each offers a specific set of supported platforms, features, and enterprise systems integration tools. ” ComputerWorld. Continue reading →

US Hospitals mine patient records in search of customers

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USA Today reported that US hospitals are data mining their patient records to promote lucrative health services.

Health information such as smoking history or past medical problems is being combined with consumer credit information to determine who might have need for services and the ability to pay.  Continue reading →

Lawsuit against US FDA raises email privacy questions

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FDA whistle-blowers say agency violated their rights by extensively monitoring personal communications


Computerworld – A recent lawsuit filed against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is drawing attention to the question of whether employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy when using personal email accounts on workplace computers.

The lawsuit was filed last week by six whistle-blowers at the FDA who allege that their private emails were extensively monitored after they began complaining to lawmakers about serious irregularities in the agency’s medical device review process.  Continue reading →