Microsoft reports that more than 430 million people use Microsoft 365 apps. That makes Outlook one of the most widely used email clients in the world. Teams pick it for enterprise-grade security, deep Office integrations, and a broad feature set, but the case for evaluating Outlook alternatives is stronger than it’s been in years. That […]
How to Deal with Social Media Defamation: Examples and Steps to Take
Key Takeaways Social media defamation occurs when someone publishes a false statement of fact online that harms another person’s or organization’s reputation. To be actionable, the statement must be false, published to a third party, and cause demonstrable harm. Preserve evidence immediately, including screenshots, URLs, timestamps, and metadata, before the content is edited or deleted. […]
Compliance Lessons from Major FINRA and SEC Texting Fines
Key Takeaways Recordkeeping has shifted from a back-office task to one of the most consequential compliance risks financial firms face today. The most common violations stem from unarchived messages on encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, and Signal, compounded by personal devices and remote work arrangements that put communications outside compliance controls. The enforcement net […]
10 Common FERPA Violation Examples and How to Avoid Them
Key Takeaways FERPA violations are most often unintentional and caused by process gaps. Digital platforms, AI tools, and third-party vendors are the fastest-growing sources of FERPA risk. The Department of Education has never revoked federal funding for a FERPA violation, but corrective actions, state-level lawsuits, and reputational damage are real consequences. Prevention depends on retention […]
SMS Archiving for School Districts: Why Your District Probably Isn’t Capturing What You Think
Key Takeaways For schools, text messages are public records. Regardless of protocol, staff messages on district devices are subject to retention requirements, FOIA requests, and ediscovery. Archiving gaps are compliance gaps. Carrier archiving only captures SMS. iMessage and RCS, which are now default on most smartphones, bypass the carrier gateway entirely and are invisible to […]
HIPAA Encryption Requirements: The Complete Guide for Covered Entities and Business Associates
Key Takeaways HIPAA gives organizations flexibility on encryption, but the conditions for opting out are strict enough that most can’t meet them. NIST sets the technical bar: AES-256 for stored data, TLS 1.3 for data in motion. Getting encryption right can mean the difference between a contained incident and a public, regulated breach. Encryption is […]
What Is PHI in Healthcare and How to Stay HIPAA Compliant
Key Takeaways Protected Health Information (PHI) is health information that can identify an individual and is held or transmitted by a covered entity or business associate. The same data can be PHI in one context and not another. Who holds it matters as much as what it says. HIPAA’s 18 identifiers define what to remove […]
PII Compliance: How to Get It Right + Checklist
Key Takeaways PII compliance is a set of rules that govern how organizations collect, store, use, and dispose of personally identifiable information. There’s no single law that defines it. Depending on your industry and location, GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, FERPA, FINRA rules, or several of these may apply. Organizations are expected to know what personal data […]
What Law Establishes PII? A Guide to U.S. PII Laws and Regulations
Key Takeaways U.S. privacy law has no single authority. PII protection is split across multiple federal, state, and international frameworks, and which ones apply to you depends on your industry, your data, and where you operate. State legislatures are filling the gaps that federal law leaves open. California led the way with CCPA, but the […]
What Is PII? A Complete Guide to Personally Identifiable Information
Key Takeaways PII (Personally Identifiable Information) is any data that can identify an individual, alone or in combination with other data. PII information is divided into two categories: direct identifiers (high-risk, identify someone on their own) and indirect identifiers (lower-risk individually, but identifying when combined). Major privacy laws governing PII include GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA. […]
