Networking in a Nutshell for 2006
FindLawBy The FindLaw Editorial Staff
2006 is coming to a close, and it has been a topsy-turvy year, to say the least.
The world of Legal Technology has also had its share of ups and downs in 2006, with companies spying on their boards, the treasury department spying on money transfers, and the government spying on, well, everyone! With all the spying going on, data security was certainly on everyone's mind in 2006, and several key stories arose out of the inability of comapnies and government agencies to protect their customer and employee data. The new Federal Rules of Civil Procedure also added to the mix with new requirements for companies and other potential litigants to keep in mind as they generate gigabytes and gigabytes of information every day.
We've assembled some of the top issues in the networking and storage sphere that ran in the Legal Technology Center over the course of the past year, and we offer them up so that you can relive the highs and lows that were 2006. Enjoy, and have a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year!
Web Sites Not Deemed Liable For Content Posted By Others
Web site providers can take a deep breath - the California Supreme Court has ruled that they are not legally responsible for content posted by third-parties on their sites.
(read more)Adobe's Document Center Offers Hosted Security Solutions for Legal Professionals
Adobe has made a point of reaching out to legal professionals and other knowledge workers with its recent release of Acrobat 8. Now the company is offering a new, hosted document service that also aims to provide useful features for professionals who need to control access to important electronic documents.
(read more)Parents Legally Liable For Kids' Internet Misconduct?
Many parents have worried about their children spending too much time online, viewing Internet content that might be inappropriate, or being contacted by unsavory characters in Cyberspace. However, very few parents likely have considered the prospect that they may be sued for the online misbehavior of their kids.
(read more)The Government Seeks To Crack Down On Identity Theft
Recognizing the growing problem of identity theft in the United States, the Department of Justice has just issued a document titled “Fact Sheet: The Work of the President’s Identity Theft Task Force.” So, is the government getting the job done? Read on and draw your own conclusions.
(read more)Boardroom Hijinks May Lead to Serious Liability
Two days ago, on September 12, Hewlett-Packard's ("HP") non-executive Chair, Patricia Dunn, resigned -- amid news stories claiming she used subterfuge to gain access to the phone records of board members and journalists, in an effort to root out a suspected boardroom snitch.
(read more)Threat from Within: Managing Insider Data Security Risks
The Ponemon Institute hits just keep on coming! Another report provided first to this columnist exposes troubling data security facts, including that notwithstanding all the news reports about breaches, 78% of US IT professionals claim that their companies have suffered unreported insider-related security breaches.
(read more)Uncle Sam Can't Shield Data under FOIA Without Due Diligence
The recent case of Davis v. Department of Justice falls under the "gimme a break" or "you gotta be kidding" categories when it comes to the federal government's rationale for not producing information under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552 (FOIA).
(read more)9th Circuit Defends Digital Research Expenses
In a decision handed down on August 30 (Trs. of the Constr. Indus. & Laborers Health & Welfare Trust v. Redland Ins. Co.), a panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals awarded litigation expenses for computer-based legal research to plaintiffs in the case. This decision puts the 9th Circuit and others in conflict with the 8th Circuit, which could result in an eventual review of the issue by the U.S. Supreme Court.
(read more)California Bill Requires Wireless Warnings
California residents might not be able to access their neighbor's wireless network for much longer. A bill that passed the California State Assembly on August 29 will require wireless manufacturers to give consumers instructions on how to secure their wireless networks.
(read more)Business Lessons from AOL's Search Data Mishap
Recently, America Online voluntarily released three months of search queries by nearly 700,000 AOL users for educational and research purposes. For a short time, this data, consisting of queries, identification numbers, time of query and ClickURLs, was posted on a public portion of AOL's site. It has since been reposted, analyzed, and discussed on many Internet sites.
(read more)The Legality of Web “Blacklists”
The controversial website LitiPages.com has created a list of patients who have filed medical malpractice cases, and of those patients' attorneys. Litipages.com encourages physicians to avoid treating listed patients - at least when it comes to "elective" procedures. It also encourages patients who've lost their cases to sue their attorneys.
(read more)A Fourteen-Year-Old Girl's Suit Against MySpace
A fourteen-year-old girl has just sued MySpace, a popular social networking site where people can meet in cyberspace and exchange profiles. Allegedly, nineteen-year-old Texan Pete Solis lied in his profile about being a high school senior on a football team to gain a minor's trust. The girl alleges that after she had contact with Solis on the site, he asked for her cellphone number, she gave it to him, they met up in person, and he sexually assaulted her.
(read more)The Stored Communication Act: New Considerations for Webmasters
CIOs, webmasters and managers responsible for establishing and administering policies for websites, intranets and extranets should take note of a recent federal decision regarding the Stored Communications Act. The details of your online use policies could mean the difference between protection or exclusion from this federal law.
(read more)
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