A recent audit by Palisade Systems of Ames, Iowa found that the biggest threat to a data breach or theft comes from employees or consultants that do not property secure the data they are entrusted with. Companies may spend millions to keep out hackers but only 2% of companies have monitoring and content filtering technology
Current Affairs
30 TouchPlay Businesses Sue State of Iowa
By Rush Nigut on
Thirty TouchPlay businesses have sued the State of Iowa claiming the state breached its contract with the businesses when the legislature banned the TouchPlay lottery machines earlier this year. The lawsuit does not request specified damages but the businesses will be seeking millions. Earlier this year five businesses unsuccessfully fought for an injunction to stop…
Sullivan & Ward Practice Highlight: Rural Electric Cooperative & Public Utility Law
For over fifty years, the Sullivan & Ward law firm has represented rural electric cooperatives and generating electric cooperatives in the state of Iowa, as well as several electric cooperatives from across the country. Our attorneys, including John Ward and Michael Joynt, have gained national recognition for their expertise in the area of rural…
Employers Use Google to Find Scoop on Employees and Applicants
By Rush Nigut on
Posted in Current Affairs, Employment Law
Seattle, Washington lawyer D. Jill Pugh recently wrote an interesting blog post regarding the fact employers are increasingly using Google to find out information about employees and applicants. Employers are able to find out all kinds of information on the Internet including the sorts of information that are illegal to ask in an interview. (Such…
SPAMMER REINVENTS HIMSELF: MOVIE TO FOLLOW?
By Rush Nigut on
SPAMMER TO REINVENT HIMSELF: MOVIE TO FOLLOW?
I recently read an article about the The State of Texas and Microsoft filing a lawsuit against one of the world’s worst purveyors of spam, Ryan Pitylak. Pitylak apparently admitted to sending out 25 million spam emails a day at the height of his business operation. Pitylak was…
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING
By Rush Nigut on
Posted in Current Affairs
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING
Tech companies are getting ready for a big fight. The Bush administration is calling for Internet and telephone companies to keep detailed records of customers’ online activities for a period of at least two years. Frankly, that is scary.
The government wants more than just terrorism and child porn searches. According…
DES MOINES UTILITY FRANCHISE TAX CASE HEADED TO TRIAL
By Rush Nigut on
DES MOINES UTILITY FRANCHISE TAX CASE HEADED TO TRIAL
Last week, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling on a franchise tax issued by the City of Des Moines on utilities. Des Moines had been sued in District Court by Lisa Kragnes seeking to declare the utility franchise tax illegal. She won in…
Casey Blake Taking the Majors by Storm
By Rush Nigut on
Posted in Current Affairs
Casey Blake Taking the Majors by Storm
As my loyal readers know I am a huge baseball fan. I follow the box scores every morning of Indianola, Iowa native Casey Blake. As of this morning, Casey was leading the American League in hitting. He also now owns a 13 game hitting streak while hitting .366…
Lawyers Beware!
By Rush Nigut on
Posted in Current Affairs
Lawyers Beware!
A recent Forbes article pointed out that lawyers are increasingly subject to lawsuits – not from their clients – but from third parties who may have been injured from the lawyer’s legal advice. The article said, "It has become routine for lawyers to sue lawyers."
Traditional malpractice suits are holding steady although the…
Watch Out for Resume Fraud
By Rush Nigut on
Watch Out for Resume Fraud
Recent news stories show resume fraud presents a big problem for your business. Recently, the Minnesota Vikings Director of Player Personnel was fired for inaccuracies on his resume. Iowa State University has had multiple cases where coaches and faculty have lied on their resumes. Could this happen to you?
Chances…