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Cyber Source from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp Available to Discuss the Ramifications for Employers of the Supreme Court's Decision in Van Buren
[June 10, 2021]

Cyber Source from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp Available to Discuss the Ramifications for Employers of the Supreme Court's Decision in Van Buren


With the recent proliferation of ransomware, the Supreme Court's decision in Van Buren is a reminder that good cybersecurity hygiene is critical to the ability of employers to protect company-owned computer systems and data, warns cyber expert Su Ross, cybersecurity and privacy partner at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP. The decision comes on the heels of recent high-profile attacks waged on Colonial Pipeline and JBS, the world's largest meat supplier, where vulnerabilities led the companies to fall victim to ransomware.

"In Van Buren, the Court grappled with the language of the Computer Fraud and AbuseAct of 1986. While the use of the CFAA in convicting hackers is unchanged by this decision, the outcome raises potentially interesting challenges for employers," said Ross.



"At a minimum, employers should require unique access codes for employees and ensure there is a written policy which makes clear that all uses of company equipment are the property of the company and that personal use of company property is a violation subjecting one to specific, detailed consequences. Further, employers should consider whether their current policies and/or employment contracts limit the scope of employees' authorized computer access to information needed for business purposes."

Su Ross is available for interviews on takeaways for employers from Van Buren and best practices for protecting company computer systems and data.


About Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

Since 1908, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (MSK) has proven its ability to understand the complex, demystify the mysterious, and define the unknown. With more than 130 lawyers and offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C., MSK is often distinguished as a "go-to" firm by industry and legal insiders and has extensive experience in a variety of practice areas, including Entertainment & IP Litigation, International Disputes, Labor & Employment, Motion Picture, Television & Music Transactions, Immigration, Corporate Securities, Regulatory, Tax, Trusts & Estates, Real Estate and International Trade. Relentlessly innovative, our lawyers have developed groundbreaking legislation, established influential precedents, and shaped the legal landscape. For more information, visit www.msk.com.


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