The Thurston, Pierce, Lewis, and Mason Counties IT Experts

In the wake of the major breach of Equifax that resulted in 143 million records stolen, there have been many questions raised about data security and breach notification laws. One of the most concerning issues was the long delay between when the breach was discovered by Equifax and when the public was notified of the breach. To help clarify how data breach notifications work and why it was technically acceptable for Equifax to wait as long as they did before notifying their customers, there are a few things you should know.

State Laws
Only 47 out of 50 states currently have data breach laws. Alabama and New Mexico have proposed bills regarding data security and notification that are before their state legislature. The lone holdout on data breach laws is South Dakota, who has yet to propose a bill of any kind.

Since each state has its own laws on data security, there are no unified standards, and laws vary in each state. For example, New York law requires that notification of a breach should be given in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay. In Wyoming, however, notice of a breach must be reported within a reasonable time that is not to exceed 45 days after the entity learns of the acquisition of personal information. Florida requires notification within 30 days.

However, these notification deadlines aren’t ironclad. Nearly all of the policies indicate that they will allow the entity to delay notification for cause. Reasons for delay vary from state to state, however, criminal investigations or national security are both common reasons that a delay in notification would be allowed.

Federal Laws
At the present, there are no comprehensive data breach laws on the federal level. While the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) are federally mandated regulations that do have data breach policies enforced by the federal government, they are industry-specific. There is no federal law that encompasses a general data security policy.

Since Equifax is a financial institution, it’s required that they adhere to the standards set forth by the GLBA. Unfortunately for about half of American adults, the GLBA does not have a deadline for disclosure. The act merely says that the financial organization should notify the affected party ‘as soon as possible’. Despite waiting 40 days before disclosing the breach, Equifax was following the regulations as outlined by the GLBA.

In addition to having different notification laws for each state, other aspects of data security laws are just as diverse. Each state has different policies on who the law applies to, what constitutes a breach, who must be notified, how they must be notified, enforcement and penalties, and entities exempt from the law.

Are you familiar with data breach notification laws for your state? The National Conference of State Legislatures offers current laws for each state. SMBs should be aware of the data security laws that might affect them and how to handle the situation - regardless of whether they’re the entity that was breached or had their information stolen. The good news is that you don’t have to go it alone. PC Technologies can help you make sure that your non-public information doesn’t go public.

You’ve probably seen the tablets that many artists use to create their thoughts and transfer them to their device. This is where Windows Ink gets its major idea from. However, the key difference between these art tablets and Windows Ink is that you don’t need a piece of external hardware or a USB connection. In fact, Windows Ink lets you use the touch screen on your device, along with specialized writing utensils, making it much less of a hassle to use.

Since Windows Ink is a Microsoft product, it’s natural that it will work best when used alongside other Microsoft products. Some of its best features only truly shine when used in a Microsoft Office product, like Word or OneNote. Here are some of the best ways you can use Windows Ink to be more productive with Microsoft Office.

Microsoft Word
You can use Windows Ink to mark up any documents that you’ve opened in Microsoft Word. You’ll be able to turn your stylus into a highlighter, delete unwanted words, or create sections of strikethrough. It’s just one way that your organization can use the latest technology to get even more out of Microsoft Word.

Microsoft OneNote
OneNote can become a freehand calculator by using Windows Ink. All you have to do is write the equation in the space where you are working. The answer will instantly propagate. If you would rather turn off this feature and focus on keeping your math skills sharp, OneNote can take you through it step by step.

Microsoft PowerPoint
Windows Ink comes with a built-in ruler that you can use to get more dynamic functions out of PowerPoint. A built-in Windows Ink feature allows you to be even more precise in your slideshows. Windows Ink can even replay the notes that others have made in its own PowerPoint file.

Windows Ink can do a lot more, such as allowing you to write down a quick address on a sticky note or generate a map based on a destination's’ address. You can also use it to take screenshots on your device’s screen and take notes on them.

Ultimately, Windows Ink is a really interesting option for any productivity-minded organization. You can use it to edit documents, simplify emails, and even provide an outlet for multiple employees to collaborate on a single document. You can think of it like an interactive notebook.

How would your business use Windows Ink? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe for more great technology tips.

First let’s look at the Flesch Reading Ease Formula. Developed in 1948, the Flesch Reading Ease formula is considered to be the most accurate readability scale in use right now. The formula gives a scale of ease of reading on a scale from 100 or less, 100 being the easiest to read. In this case, the article below has a Flesch Reading Ease Formula of 46.7. This means that it is mid-level difficulty. The Flesch Reading scale also gives an approximate grade level. In this case, the reading level is 10.7, meaning the article is written for an average grade level of between 10th and 1tth grade (based on accepted US school data).

Use Word to Evaluate Document Readability
Most users are familiar with the basic Word functions in Review - Spelling & Grammar checks and Word Count. After checking over the spelling and grammar of the document, it will post your readability statistics. Think of it like an enhanced Word Count full of all the information a writer could want about how their article is shaping up. It’s broken into three sections:

1. Count - Includes the counts of: Word, Characters, Paragraphs, Sentences
2. Averages - Sentences per Paragraph, Words per Sentence, Character per Word
3. Readability - Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Passive Sentences

To activate the Readability Menu, start by navigating to the Options menu item in Microsoft Word.

Then, select the Proofing menu item within the Word Options. Scroll down to the option that is labeled ‘When correcting spelling and grammar in Word’ from there, you see a few check boxes. In addition to making sure that ‘Check grammar with spelling’ is checked, you also want to check the box next to the option ‘Show readability statistics’.

As with most scales, the Flesch Reading Ease results should be taken with a grain of salt. Using the scale to gauge whether or not your copy is appropriate for your target audience is helpful tool. Would you like to learn more IT tips and tricks? Subscribe to our blog today!