Kahn Quoted in Columbus Business First Story on Cyber Security

Benita Kahn, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and chair of the firm’s technology and intellectual property group, was quoted in a Columbus Business First story entitled “Legal landscape taking shape around cyber security as threats rise.”   The story focused on the actions businesses are taking to prevent data breaches and highlighted a recent breach involving stolen credit card information from Wyndham Worldwide Corp. 

The story states:

“The issue of whether Wyndham’s data security measures were unreasonable at the time of the breach 'is a pretty subjective test,’ said attorney Benita Kahn, chairwoman of the technology and intellectual property group at Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease LLP.

‘You’d have to read all the complaints filed by the FTC to see what they deem as unfair,' Kahn said. 'There are no specific requirements.’

There are several things companies can do to prevent cyber attacks and to be prepared to manage one should it occur.

Most firms consider it a best practice to publish privacy policies that relate to information collected on their websites. Most also have written information security plans.

Such plans should address the safety of internal systems and be regularly assessed, Kahn said. She worked with DSW in 2005 when thieves accessed its database and the credit card numbers and names of 1.4 million customers. Kahn recommends establishing a written program that is audited regularly and an incident response outline that is tested at least annually.”

To read the entire story, visit the Columbus Business First website. (Subscription may be required).