Photo of Matthew M. Dybas

Matthew Dybas is an associate in Dykema's privacy and data security group. Mr. Dybas' privacy and data security practice includes advising domestic and international clients on issues of breach response, employee training, risk assessment, policies and procedures, corporate compliance projects and revising services agreements to include adequate privacy and data security protections. Within this realm, Mr. Dybas has notable experience handling compliance matters related to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US), as certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), and a member of the Sedona Conference Working Group 11 – Data Security and Privacy Liability.

Hackers delight in targeting U.S. companies during the holiday season triggering a year-end spike in cyber-attacks, with Carbon Black reporting a 57.5 percent increase in attempted cyber-attacks during past holiday seasons. This year we can expect that threat actors across the globe will remain online throughout the holiday season, looking to capitalize on the distraction of the holidays and the increased internet traffic that comes with online holiday shopping.

Accordingly, now, more than ever, companies should remain alert to the possibility of a cyber-attack on their information systems, especially ransomware attacks, which have more than doubled this year alone according to McAfee Labs. The FBI has also gone so far as to issue a private bulletin to automotive companies warning of “a wide range of cyber threats and malicious activity in the near future,” according to an FBI report obtained by CNN. The FBI indicates that cyber-attacks “have resulted in ransomware infections, data breaches leading to the exfiltration of personally identifiable information, and unauthorized access to enterprise networks.” 
Continue Reading ‘Tis the Season to Be on Heightened Alert: FBI Warns of Targeted Cyber Attacks