Disqus - Latest Comments for benjaminwright

Re: How Rodney Bradford Avoided Jail Time By Writing A Facebook Status

benjaminwright — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:38:40 -0000

Just as the Facebook update exonerated the teen, email metadata contributed this week to the acquittal of two Bear Stearns hedge fund managers who were accused of fraud. http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_b... -Ben

Re: Health care: It’s time for technology

benjaminwright — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:28:42 -0000

Sean: As the healthcare industry makes greater use of electronic data, the new HITECH legislation (enacted by Congress February 2009), is requiring strong privacy controls. HITECH will motivate healthcare entities to maintain robust logs and audit trails recording access to all electronic patient data, whether the data be in email, qualified e-patient records, treatment equipment or otherwise. Compliance will not be easy or cheap. Detailed analysis: http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_b... --Ben

Re: Google Launches Google Public Sector

benjaminwright — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:30:03 -0000

When governments use collaboration systems, they must think about archiving records. Public records laws expect government to keep records so citizens can monitor their government. http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_b... --Ben

Re: Defendant in secretary of state case worked for Vigil-Giron

benjaminwright — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:21:00 -0000

Had the Secretary of State's office kept more complete records, for a longer time, this scandal might have been deterred or resolved. http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_b... --Ben

Re: No, Apple Did NOT Ban Facebook

benjaminwright — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:10:44 -0000

My research documents reports of the Koobface worm infecting (or attempting to infect) workplace-related computers by way of Facebook. Employers/organizations thus have security as a reason to block social network sites. http://computersafety.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/... --Ben

Re: No, Apple Did NOT Ban Facebook

Benjamin Wright — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:06:58 -0000

Re: Apple Store: No More Facebook For You

Benjamin Wright — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:16:17 -0000

My research documents reports of the Koobface worm infecting (or attempting to infect) workplace-related computers by way of Facebook. Employers thus have security as a reason to block social network sites. http://computersafety.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/... --Ben

Re: Another day, another 100 million credit cards compromised

Benjamin Wright — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:20:27 -0000

Mass re-issuance of cards may not be the best response. In the TJX experience, the cost of re-issuing cards far exceeded the actual risk. Alternatives to re-issuance include tighter monitoring of and restrictions on affected card accounts. --Ben

Re: From Toys to Technologies: WowWee Expands and Diversifies Product Line in 2009

Benjamin Wright — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:42:13 -0000

Generally speaking in the US, the recording of conversations is more legally risky than the recording of public images. When systems like WowWee robots approach people on the street, legal issues will arise as to whether they can record conversations they overhear. Robot owners will seek to get consent to audio recording of nearby people. What do you think? --Ben

Re: Rumors suggest Microsoft layoffs next month

Benjamin Wright — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:15:28 -0000

The world is different today compared to the past (compared to even just a year ago). The constant march of technology makes it possible for a smaller work force to do virtually the same job as a larger workforce. As white collar employees are handed pink slips, an employer like a bank or a brokerage may be prudent to generously retain their e-mail records. The records are a valuable asset to the employer, relating to intellectual property, project management, customer relationships and more. --Ben

Re: Red-Light Cameras Do Not Reduce Right Angle Crashes

Benjamin Wright — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:17:35 -0000

A Texas judge said the company running a red-light camera was acting illegally because it did not have a private investigator license. On the basis of this ruling, motorists are challenging traffic tickets. New Texas legislation regulating certain electronic legal evidence work is causing problems for robo-cop traffic enforcement. See deails: http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_beagle/2008/12/e-discovery-forensics-private-investigator-license-for-computer-data-collection-and-assessment.html

Re: Lori Drew Facing Trial For TOS Violation

Benjamin Wright — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:58:30 -0000

Lori Drew's case is about cyberbullying, which is behavior for which society has little tolerance. Cyberbullying is poison for anyone it touches. An institution like a library or a school, which provides patrons, students or guests access to the Internet, has plentiful incentive to stamp out cyberbullying within its PCs. --Ben

Re: ‘Tis the Season for Mass Layoffs

Benjamin Wright — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:32:34 -0000

As white collar employees are handed pink slips, an employer like a bank or a brokerage may be prudent to retain their e-mail records. The records are a valuable asset to the employer, relating to intellectual property, project management more. --Ben http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_beagle/2008/10/retain-e-mail-of-former-employees.html

Re: i don't live here

Benjamin Wright — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:24:14 -0000

Similar issues apply in state government. On account of Open Records Acts, state governments are wise to insist that employees (including governors) route all business e-mail through a central e-mail archive and to encourage employees to take all personal e-mail to personal accounts. --Ben

Re: Bye Bye Blackberry?

DonRyan — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:55:44 -0000

That's probably not a bad idea. I am guessing that I why there is a disclaimer on all email I receive from government agencies essentially advising that the email is discoverable.

Re: Bye Bye Blackberry?

Benjamin Wright — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:31:01 -0000

Re: Sprint CEO Says Android Not Good Enough for His Logo. Bitter Much?

Class Action Lawsuit for Autho — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:58:36 -0000

Class Action Lawsuit for Authorized Dealers Against Sprint/Nextel

I am one of the most well-known wireless leaders in Northern California providing wireless solutions for corporate accounts. The difference between my company and everyone else is my exceptional vision and leadership especially on the B2B side. Without sacrificing quality, integrity, and customer service, my abilities have gained me the knowledge and expertise to win numerous awards including top seller award for Northern California from a variety of wireless carriers. Having said that, I was approached by Nextel in 2002 to become one of their B2B Authorized Representatives as a result of my success from previous years. With my exceeding success through the B2B channel, Nextel approached me to do a joint venture on launching new retail locations in the Northern California market since there was no strong retail presence. With knowledge, experience, and expertise I put together one of the most dynamic teams of highly motivated and well qualified communication consultants. In 2003, my ex-colleague and dear friend was invited to join in this new vision. I launched eight locations in Northern California and I was invited to launch new locations in Arizona, Colorado, and Minnesota. In 2005, when the merger with Sprint occurred, the new management team: Mark Sadighian, Paul Harris, and Dennis McSweeney no longer shared the vision that Nextel had with my company. At the same time I found out that my partner was embezzling money and started a new wireless company with another carrier. When I approached Mark Sadighian with my new found news, the advise that I received was to separate our partnership and for me to start a new company under a new name. I was granted an exclusive dealer contract with Sprint/Nextel and their service center. Two months into my new company, I submitted six new retail locations that were denied to me for expansion, but at the same time were handed to someone else. Sprint/Nextel set me up for failure, after I invested hundred of thousands of dollars into the new company. Sprint/Nextel decided at that point not to support me in my visions, ideas, and ventures. As a result, I am seeking other dealers that have had a similar experience as me for a class action lawsuit. Before I posted my story online, I requested the immediate assistance from the CEO of Sprint, Daniel Hesse. He never responded to any of my emails, and at this point left me with no choice, but to put together a class action lawsuit for Authorized Dealers. I will not stop until my losses are compensated. If you are interested in contacting me with any questions, concerns, or to assist me in participating in this class action lawsuit please email me at: sprintactionlawsuit@gmail.com or visit www.nextel.bz

Re: Sprint CEO Says Android Not Good Enough for His Logo. Bitter Much?

Benjamin Wright — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:46:03 -0000

My family and I use Sprint. Although we suffered some bad voice connections about a year ago, the voice and data services perform well these days. I've been favorably impressed with the Instinct phone; it pretty-reliably does what Sprint claims it does. --Ben

Re: Breaking: Possible Layoffs at Mindshare - mediabistro.com: AgencySpy

Benjamin Wright — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:59:55 -0000

As employees are shown the door, an employer like Mindshare may be wise to hang onto their e-mail records. --Ben http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_beagle/2008/10/retain-e-mail-of-former-employees.html

Re: Startup depression brings job cuts to Mahalo

anthonyha — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 01:29:09 -0000

I kinda hope that former Mahalo employees aren't reading about their layoffs on VentureBeat, but hey, fair point.

Re: Startup depression brings job cuts to Mahalo

Benjamin Wright — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 23:56:17 -0000

As employees are shown the door, an employer is wise to hang onto their e-mail records. --Ben http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_beagle/2008/10/retain-e-mail-of-former-employees.html

Re: 2008/10/15/facesaerch/

Benjamin Wright — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:52:08 -0000

Wow. If it is not practical to compile information -- even information scattered all over the web -- then that compilation of information is effectively a secret. Every day, "secrets" grow harder and harder to keep.

The difficulty of searching the web for every photo in which a person appears is an element of that person's privacy. That privacy just erroded away a bit. --Ben

Re: 2008/10/09/nutshellmail/

Benjamin Wright — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:06:53 -0000

Nutshellmail makes social network messaging a more practical business tool. As firms and professionals come to use social net communications to conduct substantive transactions (just as they have been doing for years with e-mail and more recently with IM and text messages), they are prudent to think about archiving the communications. The communications can be relevant as e-discovery in lawsuits. --Ben

Re: 2008/10/08/leadership-fear-technology-economy/

Benjamin Wright — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:57:11 -0000

Tech opens endless opportunities for people with expertise to earn a living from it. Example: a guy named Tim Kephart is an expert on street graffiti. It is cost-prohibitive for a city to hire him to travel around examining graffiti so he can tell the cops how to catch the culprits. But he uses digital tech to empower an army of city employees (cops, sanitation workers and so on) to gather and send to him the data he needs, so he can analyze what's happen and devise a course of action for the police. --Ben http://hack-igations.blogspot.com/2007/08/information-technology-empowers-law.html

Re: How many times can my identity be stolen?

benjaminwright — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:24:44 -0000

DHammet: You are correct that this is a very challenging topic, but it is not impossible to address rationally. Forensic tracing through the identity-theft chain (from breach to actual theft) happens routinely in well-managed nuts-and-bolts investigations, but it requires careful work. As a society, we must keep our cool, think analytically and come to understand what is a real breach and what is not. Otherwise we will drive ourselves crazy.

Most all data in commercial and government systems are "exposed" or "compromised" to one degree or another virtually all the time. Perfect security simply does not exist and never will. Should each citizen therefore be mailed 100 breach notices every day? That would be foolish.

Have you been to California in recent years? When I go there I laugh at the notices posted on every restaurant, store and hotel I enter. The notices say that the premises have some substance known to the State of California to cause cancer. That is all the notices say, nothing more! The notices are required under a ballot initiative passed a few years ago. But the notices are meaningless because they are so common and they don't distinguish big cancer risks from small risks. They don't tell me anything of value, so I ignore them just as everyone else does.

–Ben http://hack-igations.blogspot.com/2007/09/definition-of-data-security-breach.html