Technology Roundup

In our earlier article, we discussed tips on practicing basic cyber hygiene.  One of the most common attack methods mentioned in that article was phishing.  This week we will discuss the importance of being aware of text messages, emails, or chat boxes that come from someone you do not know or were not expecting.  Phishing has been a staple in the cybersecurity threat landscape for ...
Read More

In our first article to kick off Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we will discuss some steps businesses can take to improve their cyber hygiene.  Over the past few years, some of the largest and well-known companies have been affected by data breaches resulting in millions of dollars in losses.  Smaller businesses are not immune from data breaches, and even a small data breach impacting only a ...
Read More

In recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Vandeventer Black is pleased to announce that it will again be providing information and resources throughout the month of October to increase awareness of some of the complex cybersecurity issues and challenges that face businesses in Virginia and beyond.  Recently, we published a series of articles addressing ransomware attacks, such as those involving Colonial Pipeline and JBS S.A., ...
Read More

It has been barely a month since we reported on the recent ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline Company, yet news continues to break with additional revelations about the recent attack.  What we have learned during the past several weeks should give businesses encouragement, while reinforcing some important lessons. Shortly after the attack, it was revealed that Colonial Pipeline paid roughly $4.3 million in bitcoin ...
Read More

A few weeks ago, details of the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack filled the news cycle, and by now, most people have heard about the latest ransomware attack to hit the news.  Brazil’s JBS S.A., the world’s largest meat processing company, was targeted this week by a ransomware attack that, according to reports, appeared to have originated from a criminal group likely operating in Russia, shutting ...
Read More

Our previous article in this series looked at the legal framework surrounding blockchain technology.  This article will look at practical uses for the technology. Blockchain technology has implications for many business owners, even those not interested in the speculative trading element in cryptocurrency which is akin to trading in the stock market.  In addition to acting as a cash replacement, cryptocurrencies have many other applications, ...
Read More

Our previous article considered the technology behind cryptocurrency. This article will focus on the legal framework governing the industry.  The cryptocurrency market is subject to a patchwork of inconsistent legislation and regulations that continue to evolve, leading to uncertainty about its future.  While the blockchain industry has grown for years, regulators have not kept pace with this growth, making the desire for regulatory clarification greater ...
Read More

Bitcoin was first introduced in a 2009 white paper, Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.[1]  Since then, cryptocurrencies[2], also known as virtual or digital currencies, have exploded, with thousands of different types in circulation, achieving a $2T market cap in early 2021[3], and with the number of blockchain wallet users rising to more than 70 million as of May 2021.[4] However, the blockchain concept, which ...
Read More

If you had never heard of the Colonial Pipeline Company before last week, chances are that you have heard about it now.  Sitting in your car waiting in long lines to fill up at your local gas station hoping they don’t run out is likely not something you have experienced unless you are old enough to remember the gas shortages of the 1970s. Colonial Pipeline ...
Read More

Click here to watch the video. [Video Transcript] Hello, and welcome to Van Black Law.  Vandeventer Black is a business and litigation law firm providing internationally recognized services across a wide variety of legal sectors.  Thank you for tuning in to Van Black Law’s Technology Roundup where we discuss the latest data and technology issues affecting your business. I’m Jonathan Gallo, and I am part of Vandeventer Black’s Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Group.   Today we’re going to discuss some of the major provisions of Virginia’s ...
Read More

Article published in Virginia Lawyer | April 2021 | VOL. 69 | The Construction Law and Public Contracts Issue | Page 45 ...
Read More

According to a recent report by global insurer Beazley based on its customer data, in the first half of 2020, total costs of ransom payments doubled, along with the number of ransom demands paid compared with the same time period in 2019. Ransomware is a form of malicious software (malware) that blocks user access to a device or files, usually by encryption, until the victim ...
Read More

Take Notice; The California Consumer Privacy Law Took Effect on New Year’s Day! On January 1, 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) took effect, and with it come additional data privacy rights provisions that affect certain businesses that collect or sell the personal information of California residents.  This post will summarize the main provisions of the CCPA and what businesses should be aware of ...
Read More

Today, it seems hardly a month passes without a report of another business falling victim to a data breach. Over the past few years, some of the largest and well-known companies such as Equifax, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Anthem, Sony Pictures, and Uber, have been affected by data breaches. These companies have experienced significant losses, totaling millions of dollars. While larger companies may possess ...
Read More

From 3D printing and drone use, to increased use of tablets, laptops, smartphones, and wearables, the construction industry is becoming increasingly dependent on the use of technology. Use of augmented reality programs, advanced tracking technologies, and multi-user cloud-based platforms are on the rise; and while these technologies can increase efficiency, reduce costs, and increase worksite safety, they also come with increased risk. This article discusses ...
Read More

During the last several years, many industries have fallen victim to cyber-attacks, and the maritime industry is not immune.  Consider the following recent news reports:  In 2017, the largest container shipping company in the world, A.P. MØller-Maersk, fell victim to NotPetya, a type of destructive malware, that required the installation of 4,000 new servers, 45,000 new PCs and 2,500 applications, costing the organization between $250 ...
Read More

Effective November 1, 2018, organizations engaged in commercial activities in certain Canadian provinces and territories  now have additional data breach reporting requirements pursuant to the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA1) and the Breach of Security Safeguards Regulations2. While Quebec3, British Columbia4 and Alberta5 previously adopted substantially similar data breach requirements, if personal information during the course of a commercial activity crosses borders, ...
Read More

The last article discussed the consent orders that typically result from Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTCA”) § 5 enforcement actions. This article, the final in a four-article series on data custodianship, discusses some sector-specific laws and provides links for further research.  While these laws are more industry-specific than FTCA § 5, these laws provide the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), other agencies, and sometimes individual victims ...
Read More

In the last article, we discussed FTCA § 5 enforcement actions. This article describes the consent orders that often result from FTC complaints alleging unfair or deceptive practices or other unlawful acts in the realm of privacy and data protection.  While consent orders do not require an admission of guilt, they generally prohibit the conduct which gave rise to the initial complaint, require defendants obtain ...
Read More

In the last article, we outlined, generally, privacy and data protection considerations for compliance with applicable laws.  This article discusses the Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTCA”) § 5, which empowers the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) to pursue enforcement actions against companies that engage in “unfair” acts that are (1) likely to cause substantial injury to consumers (2) that is neither reasonably avoidable (3) nor outweighed ...
Read More