Privacy Perils: Ignorance is Not Bliss

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Contact

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

After several years of cyberattacks, you may be lulled into thinking large, sophisticated companies have now employed adequate safeguards to prevent disclosure of your confidential information.  Don’t be so sure.  Earlier this month, the Pentagon disclosed that the travel records of at least 30,000 military and civilian personnel – containing personal information and credit card data – was compromised.  Moreover, the breach may have actually occurred months ago, but was just recently discovered.  In a scenario that has played out before, the actual breach apparently occurred at a third party vendor, in this case one that provided a service to Defense Department personnel.

So, just what can you do to protect disclosure of your confidential information?  Candidly, and sadly, sometimes not much.  That said, we have previously advised of actions you can take to freeze your credit, before or after a disclosure.  On a more practical level, you should pay prompt and careful attention to your credit card and bank statements to identify unauthorized charges or withdrawals.  Some card issuers and financial institutions also allow you to sign up for email or text alerts when a charge above a certain threshold is incurred.

Blissful ignorance is still ignorance. “The expectations of life depend on diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”  – Confucius.

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Attorney Advertising.

© Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

Written by:

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Contact
more
less

PUBLISH YOUR CONTENT ON JD SUPRA NOW

  • Increased visibility
  • Actionable analytics
  • Ongoing guidance

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC on:

Reporters on Deadline

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
Custom Email Digest
- hide
- hide