On July 2, 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement with smart home products manufacturer, D-Link, regarding allegations that D-Link misrepresented the security of its wireless routers, modems, and...more
The news regularly reports on data breaches and cybersecurity. While we read about the biggest breaches – Home Depot, Target, Anthem, JP Morgan, Wyndham – probably every business has been hacked and will be hacked again. ...more
How much does the question of harm matter in cybersecurity law? The answer is: It depends on who is bringing the claim. Businesses confronting data breaches can face litigation from private consumers as well as from...more
Entering 2016, the relentless stream of cyberattacks continues unabated, having become a "business as usual" reality to which companies must adapt. All companies, regardless of size or industry, are potential targets, and the...more
This article begins by providing an overview of the duty of directors to oversee risk, including cybersecurity risk, in the cyberattack context and then outlines actions that board of directors are taking as reported by...more
In a surprising development, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation settled a long running dispute last week with the Federal Trade Commission that arose from three data breaches Wyndham suffered between 2008-2010. After an...more
The Third Circuit interlocutory decision in Federal Trade Commission v. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation was widely reported as a big win for the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”). But on closer examination, it was a split...more
What makes data privacy law interesting for academics, challenging for lawyers, and frustrating for businesses its shape-shifting structure in the face of rapidly changing technology. The recent change in the invalidation of...more
In the span of two days, mobile device users learned of two data breaches that could compromise their personal data. In one, Experian (a credit reporting agency) reported that it was hacked, potentially putting 15 million...more
Cyberattacks are on the rise—so much that we seem to hear about a high-profile hack more often than it probably rains in most parts of California. Although reputational damage from a cyberattack can be scarring, a recent U.S....more
In 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruling in FTC v. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation agreed to hear an immediate appeal on two issues: “whether the FTC has authority to regulate cybersecurity under...more
On August 24, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit released its long-awaited ruling in Federal Trade Commission v. Wyndham Hotels, affirming the FTC's enforcement powers in the cybersecurity sphere. The...more
On August 24, in FTC v. Wyndham Worldwide Corp. et al, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that the FTC could enforce its own reasonable interpretation of what cybersecurity standards are necessary to avoid...more
Part of Bradley Arant’s Privacy and Information Security Team’s seven-part Data Breach Toolkit Webinar Series, the “Data Breach Response Planning: Laying the Right Foundation” webinar, led by Paige Boshell and Amy Leopard,...more
In Part I, we discussed the Third Circuit's finding that the "unfair" prong of the FTC Act does not require the agency to provide specific cybersecurity standards with "ascertainable certainty" to which companies must...more
As a privacy litigator, I could not help but observe an apparent contradiction in the way the Third Circuit allowed the FTC to pursue Wyndham Hotels for cybersecurity breaches under the FTC Act, but Judge Berman (SDNY)...more
On August 24, 2015, the Third Circuit affirmed the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey’s denial of a motion to dismiss in FTC v. Wyndham Worldwide Corp. In Wyndham, the Federal Trade Commission...more
In a resounding win for the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), the Third Circuit unanimously affirmed the FTC’s power to regulate cybersecurity under the unfairness prong of the FTC Act (15 U.S.C. §45). FTC v. Wyndham, Case,...more
Using the Maryland Consumer Protection Act, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh has announced that eye care retailer Visionworks, Inc. has agreed to pay the state of Maryland $100,000 and enhance its security measures...more
Third Circuit Affirms FTC’s Authority Over Cybersecurity: In the Wyndham case, the Third Circuit affirmed that the FTC has the authority to regulate cybersecurity under Section 5 of the FTC Act, and that the language of...more
In a closely-watched cybersecurity case, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held in Federal Trade Commission v. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (No. 14-3514) that the Federal Trade Commission...more
In a highly anticipated, precedential opinion released on August 24, 2015, the Third Circuit held that the FTC had authority to regulate cybersecurity under the unfairness prong of § 45(a) of the FTC Act and that Wyndham had...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can regulate cybersecurity policies and procedures as “unfair” acts or practices under Section 5 of the FTC Act, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has ruled in a very important...more
If you read one thing: - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) secured a major appellate victory in its quest to challenge lax corporate cybersecurity practices - In light of the 3rd Circuit’s decision,...more
Banks and other companies subject to the CFPB’s jurisdiction face the possibility that the CFPB could begin using its authority under Sections 1031 and 1036 of the Dodd-Frank Act (which proscribe unfair, deceptive or abusive...more