Brazen attacks shred

faith in data security

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un was not amused by Sony’s movie “The Interview.”

As the year began, more than 40 million credit card holders got a rude awakening when they learned their account data had been stolen from retailing giant Target.
As it draws to a close, the world has been regaled by emails and other sensitive data stolen from electronics and entertainment mega-corporation Sony.
These two major hacks bookend a year in which data privacy and security have been dominant themes in the news.
Never before has it seemed that everyone is at such risk from unseen, unknown threats. You are not alone if you have little faith that government and businesses cannot be trusted with your data.

ECONOMY IN FREE FALL AS RUSSIAN LEADER’S POPULARITY PEAKS

As the Russian economy was slammed on global financial markets, Russians voted their President Vladimir Putin the ‘politician of the year’ for the 15th consecutive time.
But, as the financial crisis spreads to the real economy, it will become impossible to conceal from Russians confronted with spiraling prices, government cutbacks and a worthless currency.
Putin’s popularity will plummet, along with the price of a barrel of oil and the implosion of the Russian economy.

US MORAL AUTHORITY SINKS TO A NEW LOW
There is only one good thing to say about the U.S. Senate’s report on torture: that it was made public.
The entire world is now lumping the US together with those like China, Iran and North Korea who are at the bottom of the heap when it comes to respect for human rights.
The only difference remains the candor of America when it comes to recognizing its mistakes. The very release of the report is the one bright spot in an otherwise dark and dismal chapter of our history.