Tax Audit | Investigation

This "Age of Information" will drown us in all manner of audits and investigations. As the Information Age advances deeper into the 21st Century, ever-enlarging oceans of little records memorialize our every personal, business and political action. The existence of these records will forever entice the "authorities" to demand them for their ever-more-granular audits. It is only natural that state tax authorities want to gather data about and then audit individual and business consumers as they make online purchases.
in reference to:

"state can "impose an information reporting requirement on a foreign merchant"
- http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20002434-38.html (view on Google Sidewiki)

--Benjamin Wright

Related post:  Web no trespassing sign to tax auditors and their spiders 

Data security training

Information security is more than a technical issue. It is more than a management issue. It is also a public relations issue. Senior infosec professionals need training on how to inform interested parties (employees, government, customers, news media, even unwelcome intruders) about IT security policies and incidents.

in reference to:

"The course emphasizes the role of public communications"
- http://blogs.sans.org/computer-forensics/2010/02/09/public-communications-are-critical-to-security-incident-response/ (view on Google Sidewiki)

--Benjamin Wright

HR Investigations Law

Internal investigations are becoming more tricky. Many investigations now involve voluminous computer records such as e-mail and text messages, which can be difficult to manage and interpret. At the same time, the law pays growing respect to the privacy of individuals. Investigators must be trained and thoughtful. http://www.facebook.com/Benjamin.Wright.SANS.Legal.Instructor

in reference to:

"person who conducts the investigation should be able to act objectively"
- http://hr.blr.com/whitepapers/Performance-Termination/Workplace-Complaints-and-Investigations/When-and-How-to-Conduct-Workplace-Investigations/ (view on Google Sidewiki)

--Benjamin Wright

Automated Video Recording | Surveillance Legislation

As robot systems become more common in society, law must address what records they can make of humans. Computer records can memorialize much information about a person: video, audio, smells and more. Contract law can help to regulate their digital recordings. http://hack-igations.blogspot.com/2008/01/robot-surveillance-contracts.html

in reference to:

"protect Americans from secret video surveillance, by clarifying that the government has to get a search warrant"
- http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/privacy-protections-against-hidden-video (view on Google Sidewiki)

--Benjamin Wright