data security

Data Security in the COVID-19 Era

April 3, 2020 | Structure Law Group, LLP

Don’t let a data security issue become a public relations nightmare for your enterprise. Huge gains in efficiency and productivity are in the cards for any enterprise that can keep pace with technology. However, with any technological advance, risks and pitfalls are abound. Especially when it comes to Data Security. Indeed, many have already succumbed to these pitfalls; think healthcare agencies, credit reporting agencies, and even the US Government (remember Edward Snowden?). Considering most businesses and industries are currently in some form of lock-down, Data Security and Data Security Practices are crucial. If your enterprise is fortunate enough to have remote work capability and your current Data Security practices are somewhat lacking, consider these basic tips for our current COVID-19 Era.

Learn from your prior mistakes. It is said we can learn much more form our failures compared to our successes. If your organization has already been the victim of a Data Security issue, hopefully you have already implemented practices to prevent the same occurrence in the future. Continually revisiting your Data Security practices is important in many respects, to name just a few: 1) It serves to minimize future occurrences, 2) It serves to reinforce your polices, 3) It demonstrates the importance of the issue to your workforce, and 4) It could serve to cut-off (or at least limit) liability/damages in the event of a failure. Make regular review of your practices a priority.
Limit who has access. Does everyone in your organization need access to all your critical systems and information? Probably not. Considering who needs access, and what information they need access to, is an important consideration.

What do I do if I have a Data Security Breach?

April 14, 2017 | Mark Figueiredo

As a business owner, you should take every possible precaution to ensure that the information of your clients, customers, and employees are safe. However, as many corporate owners will tell you, even the most well-prepared companies – large or small – can be the victims of data breaches. One precaution to protect your company from these data security breaches is to seek counsel from an experienced California e-commerce attorney from the start. The following are only a few steps you may want to consider taking if a data breach happens to your business:

Take Immediate Action

The minute you learn of any type of breach, you should start working to repair the leak. You can do a lot of damage control by immediately addressing security flaws and securing the rest of your data. You should identify which servers have been affected and the nature of the data on those servers.

Privacy Policy – Protecting Personal Information

December 23, 2016 | Structure Law Group, LLP

The purchase and sale of goods and services at a storefront is rarer these days. Information technologies make online transactions more efficient and convenient. However, those same transactions expose businesses to greater risk and liability when receiving and using customer information. Information technology companies must not only must safeguard their electronic transactions, but also secure sensitive information and proactively combat data breaches. Failure to do so can lead to a huge economic loss for the customers and the company. Structure Law Group, LLP advises companies engaged in e-commerce on privacy and security issues, how to safeguard against the inadvertent data breaches and counsels them on the necessary steps to take if such an unfortunate event occurs.

Protection of Personal Information

California law protects the individual’s right to the safety and integrity of his/her personal information. California’s Information Security Act defines personal information as any information that could identify or describe a person. Personal information includes a person’s name, address, social security number, license number, medical information, and the like. If your website collects such information, then you are required by law to take reasonable steps to prevent disclosure of such personal and private information. California law obligates businesses to implement security measures reasonably designed to protect the integrity of the such information. Every business entity, from a sole proprietorship to a multi-national corporation is subject to the Information Security Act.