Author Archives: Daniel J. Siegel
Multifactor Authentication Is Critical to Protect Your Identity and Your Data
Consumer Affairs reports on a new identity theft study that reaffirms the need to take proactive measures to protect your security. Attorney Daniel J. Siegel of the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC and Integrated Technology Services, LLC, is quoted in the article, reminding everyone that mutlifactor authentication is essential. Click here to read the article.
The article explains that, according to the Identity Theft Research Center, the biggest increases in the last year were:
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Reports from victims of non-financial account takeover (235% increase over 2020)
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Social media account takeover (1,044% increase over 2020)
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Identity misuse involving government credentials or accounts (154% increase from 2019-2020 and 7% increase from 2020 to 2021)
Pa. Bar Ethics Committee Issues Formal Ethics Opinion About Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Fees Under Lorino
The Pennsylvania Bar Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, which is chaired by Attorney Daniel J. Siegel, issued a Formal Ethics Opinion, Number 2022-100, concerning attorneys’ obligations to request counsel fees following the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Opinion in Lorino v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Commonwealth) in December 2021. Entitled “Attorney’s Obligations to Request Counsel Fees Under Section 440 of the Workers’ Compensation Act,” the Opinion advises attorneys that they are not required to request the fees, but that, at the relevant time during the litigation, attorneys are required to discuss the issue with their clients, including whether or not to request the fees, and must abide by the clients’ decision whether to seek the award of fees.… Read the rest
Budget Law Requires Reporting of Hacks to Homeland Security
Although only one in seven businesses typically reports a cybersecurity hack to the federal government that should change now that the recent budget/government funding law requires 16 types of businesses to report hacks to the Department of Homeland Security within 72 hours. The types of hacks that must be reported include data breaches and ransomware attacks/payments. Lawyers and law firms already have an ethical obligation under the Rules of Professional Conduct to report breaches, attacks and other cybersecurity incidents to clients whose data may have been impacted.… Read the rest
FBI Warns Governments, Elected Officials & Candidates of Cybersecurity Phishing Threats
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released a Private Industry Notification (PIN) to warn U.S. governments, elected officials and candidates about cybersecurity threats, particularly invoice-themed phishing emails that could be used to harvest these officials’ login credentials. This threat applies to all governments, local to national, all government employees, all elected officials, and all candidates for elected office. In short, this threat applies to a wide range of people, and it is one to take very seriously.… Read the rest
The White House – Yes The White House – Offers Excellent Advice on Protecting Yourself Online
No matter your politics, most of us aren’t thinking of President Biden when it comes to technology advice. Yet it was the Biden White House offering excellent advice on protecting yourself online. This isn’t fancy geek language, it is the same cybersecurity advice I have given in dozens of programs not only to lawyers and law firms but also to community groups and others.… Read the rest
FCC Adds Kaspersky Products to List of National CyberSecurity Risks
The FCC has added Kaspersky products to the list of cybersecurity risks. Law firms should alert staff not to use the products on any devices that access their firms’ networks to safeguard client information.
Of course, the last thing you need from your Internet security product is for it to be a threat to your security. Let alone national security. But on Friday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) called Kaspersky a national cybersecurity threat by adding Kaspersky, China Mobile, and China Telecom to the list of companies affected by the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019.… Read the rest
Please, please, please LEARN TO USE EMAIL, Pretty Please
Can we all agree that email has been around for a while? And so has the horrid Reply to All feature. And so has the ability of businesses to just turn off email boxes of employees and not monitor who might be contacting the departed. Have we learned nothing in all the years email has been a part of our lives?… Read the rest
Why Hire an Appellate Lawyer? Would you want your GP to perform cardiac surgery?
The reality is that every lawyer has different skills, just like a surgeon has different aptitudes than a family doctor. Yet many lawyers either choose to handle their own appeals or do not engage an appellate lawyer with the specialized knowledge and experience to avoid the problems (in other words, losses) than can flow from having the wrong lawyer write the wrong brief. … Read the rest
WFH – Work From Home Legal Issues Are A Reality
In the new COVID world in which the traditional office has been replaced in full or in part by a work from home existence, many of us never think about the issues that arise when we are doing our jobs at the kitchen table.
- What if you get up to answer the phone and trip? Is that a work-related issue under the Workers’ Compensation Law?