U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Third Round of Guidance on Automated Vehicles
Rapid advances in automation have the potential to disrupt a number of sectors, perhaps none more so than the automobile industry. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has accordingly announced its intention to take “active steps to prepare for the future by engaging with new technologies to ensure safety without hampering innovation.” Most recently, on October 4, 2018, DOT issued Preparing for the Future of Transportation: Automated Vehicles 3.0 (AV 3.0), its third round of guidance on the topic. Like its 2017 predecessor, “Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety,” AV 3.0 emphasizes the development of voluntary, consensus-based technical standards and approaches while noting that there are cross-cutting policy issues where federal leadership may be necessary. AV 3.0 also builds on its predecessors by emphasizing that it reflects the view of all of DOT’s operating administrations; by providing much more detailed guidance on the development and testing of automated vehicle technologies; and by announcing some specific regulatory steps DOT plans to take in the near future. (more…)
11th Circuit Vacates LabMD Enforcement Order; Casts Doubt on Decades of FTC Cybersecurity Enforcement Practices
In recent years, the Federal Trade Commission has increasingly exercised its enforcement authority to target deceptive and unfair information security practices. During this time, enforcement actions have targeted companies for failing to honor their promises to implement “reasonable” or “industry standard” security practices, defend against well-known security threats, put in place basic security measures, or take many other basic data security steps. And despite challengers arguing that the FTC provided insufficient notice before pursuing these actions or that the actions otherwise exceeded the FTC’s Section 5 enforcement authority, the Commission generally has a track record of successfully defending its prerogatives. (more…)
Arizona Updates Data Breach Law
Changes to data breach notification laws continue to pop up across the country this Spring. The latest comes from a new law signed by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey that amends the state’s data breach standards. Although much of the Arizona law has remained the same, the new law updates a few key provisions, including the definition of personal information, the requirements for the content of the data breach notice, the timing of notice, and the capping of penalties. (more…)
Protecting Privilege in the Aftermath of a Data Breach
On Jan. 3, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a decision that effectively required a company to turn over materials relating to a privileged forensic data breach investigation because, the court concluded, the company had implicitly waived privilege when it disclosed certain of the forensic firm’s conclusions in response to a discovery request. The Sixth Circuit’s decision emphasizes the need for caution by litigants wishing to raise a defense that relies on privileged investigations and reports, including third-party forensic reports, or otherwise disclosing the conclusions of such investigations and reports. (more…)
Robust Debate at NAIC Cybersecurity Task Force Interim Meeting Highlights Concerns with Draft Insurance Data Security Model Law
On May 24-25, 2016, the Cybersecurity (EX) Task Force of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) held a two-day interim meeting in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Task Force’s preliminary draft of a model law outlining data security standards applicable to insurance licensees. The Draft Insurance Data Security Model Law (“the Draft Model Law”), first released for public comment on March 2, 2016, would apply to all licensed insurers, producers and other persons licensed or required to be licensed (or authorized or required to be authorized, or registered or required to be registered) pursuant to state insurance laws (“Insurance Licensees”).