Internet Security, a Daily Concern

Yesterday, the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) hacked into Skype and Microsoft’s twitter account.  The twitter feed read, “Don’t use Microsoft emails (hotmail,outlook), They are monitoring your accounts and selling the data to governments.”  The same post also appeared on Microsoft’s twitter feed.  Both were swiftly removed.  In a statement today, Skype representatives said, “No user […]

What is a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement, and Why Do I Need One?

If your practice is currently using a medical teleconferencing service (telemed), or if you are considering using one, you should know that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and the recently-finalized (March 2013) Rules promulgated thereunder, consider the provider of such service to be a “business associate.” HIPAA defines a business […]

Skype and Microsoft: a HIPAA nightmare

Heise Security, a top German internet security firm, has done some research that will be somewhat frightening to Skype users, especially those who believe their Skype sessions retain any promise of privacy. A recent H-online article detailed research showing that Microsoft servers are programmed to visit HTTPS (SSL) URLs typed into the Skype instant messaging […]