EAGLE SCOUT | ISSUE NO. 23-24

NEWS | Data breach affects college employees

20 Dec 2023

US – The College of the Canyons suffered a data breach affecting more than 2,400 employees due to an unauthorized intrusion into its insurance provider. The breach exposed personal data, including Social Security numbers and health insurance details. Officials say there's no evidence of misuse, and have apologized for the incident, committing to prevent similar events in the future. READ MORE

NEWS | Online educational portal’s glitch exposes trans students

21 Dec 2023

CANADA – A technical glitch in an online education portal led to the unintentional "outing" of 32 transgender students. The glitch displayed the students’ birth names for 14 days, instead of the name they identify by, potentially revealing their transgender identity. Authorities found the portal and the schools’ responses to be extremely inadequate. READ MORE

NEWS | A report flags privacy risks in Santa Calling apps

22 Dec 2023

UNITED KINGDOM – An ad fraud protection platform, recently released a report highlighting concerns in apps simulating calls with Santa Claus. Key findings reveal inadequate privacy policies, lack of age verification, lack of proper safeguards for users’ privacy, and permissions that risk personal information exposure.  READ MORE

NEWS | Japan plans to ban fax machines in schools to curb issues in mishandling student info

22 Dec 2023

JAPAN – The Japan government plans to ban all fax machines in schools and transition to digital communication. This move comes after recent reports of schools mishandling personal information as students’ names, phone numbers, and email addresses were compromised when physical documents were lost or improperly handled. READ MORE

NEWS | PhilHealth officials accused of privacy violations over massive data leak

26 Dec 2023

PHILIPPINES – The National Privacy Commission (NPC) recommends charges against PhilHealth's president, CEO, and other key executives for failing to protect sensitive information during a data leak that involved 180 million records in October. As per the Commission’s report, the officials violated the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and is now seeking accountability and corrective measures. Officials found guilty of negligence face imprisonment and fines. READ MORE