FTC issues warning about data loss over P2P
Yet another warning about data loss, company policy and how easily all your files can be liked over the internet comes into the security world, this time from the Federal Trade Commission. Long overdue some would say, including Robert Siciliano in a recent post on Information Security Resources.
Yes, it is quite bewildering to see how after warning after warning and a long line of data breach incidents, companies still allow the misuse of software and hardware resources. It is also confusing to see the FTC now getting ready to directly warn about 100 companies about the risks of peer-to-peer. It’s a bit late, years and years after the problems appeared.
But if there are any IT managers or CEOs who don’t know what peer-to-peer can lead to, here are a few quotes from Siciliano’s article:
Last year the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform responded to reports that peer to peer file sharing allows Internet users to access other P2P users’ most important files, including bank records, tax files, health records, and passwords.
An academic from Dartmouth College found that he was able to obtain tens of thousands of medical files using P2P software.In my own research, I have uncovered tax returns, student loan applications, credit reports and Social Security numbers.
I’ve found family rosters which include usernames, passwords and Social Security numbers for entire family. I’ve found Christmas lists, love letters, private photos and videos (naughty ones, too) and just about anything else that can be saved as a digital file.
In some cases, the benefits of technology are far more important than the risks. It happens with all gadgets that make work fun, efficient and portable. But if you do allow your employees to install software that’s easily hacked, at least protect your files by restricting access to them…
