Washington
– The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Tuesday issued notices to some 100
organizations, warning them that personal information, including sensitive data
about customers or employees, is being shared on peer-to-peer file-sharing
networks. Recipients of the notices included schools, local governments, and
both private and publicly-traded businesses, who were urged by the FTC to
"protect such information from unauthorized access, including taking steps
to control the use of P2P software on your own networks and those of your service
providers."
The FTC said that the data being shared could potentially be
used to commit identity fraud, corporate espionage and other crimes.
The FTC
added that it has opened non-public investigations of other companies whose
data has been exposed on file-sharing networks.
The agency also issued a new
business education brochure, entitled "Peer-to-Peer File Sharing: A Guide
for Business," intended to explain the technology and address potential
risks of its use by employees.
Related Links:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/02/p2palert.shtm
