Harboring Data: Information Security, Law, and the Corporation

As identity theft and corporate data vulnerability continue to escalate, corporations must protect both the valuable consumer data they collect and their own intangible assets. Both Congress and the states have passed laws to improve practices, but the rate of data loss persists unabated and companies remain slow to invest in information security. Engaged in a bottom-up investigation, Harboring Data reveals the emergent nature of data leakage and vulnerability, as well as some of the areas where our current regulatory frameworks fall short. With insights from leading academics, information security professionals, and other area experts, this original work explores the business, legal, and social dynamics behind corporate information leakage and data breaches. The authors reveal common mistakes companies make, which breaches go unreported despite notification statutes, and surprising weaknesses in the federal laws that regulate financial data privacy, children's data collection, and health data privacy. This forward-looking book will be vital to meeting the increasing information security concerns that new data-intensive business models will have.

About the Author :
Andrea M. Matwyshyn is an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research and consulting focus on U.S. and international issues of information policy, corporate best practices, data privacy, and technology regulation.

Review :
"Against a backdrop of ever-increasing data collection, retention and mining, Professor Andrea Matwyshyn offers Harboring Data: Information Security, Law, and the Corporation, a fine collection of essays that seem to share Goethe's disdain for inertia with an appeal for vigilance, execution, improvement and imagination." - Michael C. Macchiarola, Law and Politics Book Review "The struggle for information security is a multi-billion dollar issue for U.S. corporations. Harboring Data is an essential volume that speaks to this problem. It features a range of insightful multi-disciplinary and international perspectives on the changing landscape of data security."' - Paul M. Schwartz, University of California, Berkeley "This book provides an abundance of meaningful insights and practical advice for a problem of enormous interest to academics and executives. Years from now, we'll look back at the 'bad old days' of pervasive information security breaches, and we'll recognize that this book offered an important road map to help reduce the frequency, magnitude, and impact of these problems." - Peter Fader, University of Pennsylvania "Want to stay in business, please your customers, and surpass your competitors? To do so requires understanding the complex challenges of managing and protecting information. Harboring Data is a must read to understand the multidisciplinary approach required for success in integrating business, legal, and technical strategies for successful execution." - David A. Hoffman, Director of Security Policy and Global Privacy Officer, Intel Corporation