Avantika Banerjee

Financial times reported how companies like Facebook, HP and Google run programs that rewards outsiders who are not employees, with cash rewards on detecting flaws with their code/systems. Facebook runs a ‘bug bounty program’; HP has a somewhat similar program called the ‘Zero day initiative’; Mozilla and Google are other companies who are adopting the…

News report source: International Commissioners Office. According to the International Commissioners Office, Lush, the cosmetic retailer suffered a data breach on their website in January 2011. During this, payment details of 5000 costumers were accessed. According to Acting Head of Enforcement, Sally Anne Poole “Lush took some steps to protect their customers’ data but failed…

The Vancouver courier, in a story dated August 8th, talks about a prospective bill being contemplated in Canada; which will take state interference without any warrant a step ahead in the wrong direction. “The bill will force Internet Service Providers (Shaw, Telus, etc.) to disclose personal information about customers (you and me) to government agents…

OTA has a really good report, with the basics you need to know about ‘Incident response’ and how to create an effective incident reponse policy for your organization. Given the rampant data breached taking place and the fact that like it or not, online data storage is here to stay and is only going to increase…

So, this is the first I am hearing of HackNY. I have to say this is an interesting and empowering non profit forum for young techies and entrepreneurs. Here are the details  . Go check them out.

Question- Why do mobile applications (those handy little apps which do everything from serving news to finding places to eat) need their own individual privacy policies? Answer- Without a clearly defined privacy policy, which outlines the collection and usage of user data, the methods used to track user information and the like; a mobile app…

The ‘Do Not Track’ bill, i.e. SB 761 is a privacy proposal which is being deliberated in California. At the most basic level, this bill if passed would allow all users the choice to opt out of being followed in any format what so ever. Businesses would have to inform costumers about the different mechanisms…

The recent week has been eventful,  given the hacking into of online information of Sony Playstation; the capturing of location data on iPhone4 and new information about data mining by android based phones. The new buzz words are security breaches and privacy and it’s interesting to note the reaction of the average person. It hovers either on…

In the wake of security breaches with Sony play station and tracking of consumers with Apple, I am wondering where the idea of the identity eco system as proposed by the Obama administration in its, National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyber space, fits into the big picture? According to the above mentioned strategy ”…

The Obama administration recently released the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC).  According to the press release, The NSTIC is focussed on enhancing consumer privacy. The primary goal is to create an “Identity Ecosystem” in which there will be interoperable, secure, and reliable credentials available to consumers who want them. This new effort on…