Technology Law Blog, IT Law & Articles | Foster Swift

Trump AI Order Explained: Cybersecurity Priorities and Compliance Impact

Lindsey M. Mead — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:00:01 -0400

On June 2, 2026, the Trump Administration issued a new executive order regarding advanced artificial intelligence (“AI”). Executive Order 14409, titled “Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security” (“Executive Order 14409”), provides that it is the policy of the United States to promote AI innovation without imposing overly burdensome regulation, while simultaneously strengthening cybersecurity and national security infrastructure.

It is the stated purpose of Executive Order 14409 to promote working collaboratively with private ...

State Privacy Laws Taking Effect in 2026

Taylor A. Gast, Lindsey M. Mead — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:00:02 -0500

Though there remains no comprehensive nationwide, federal privacy law on the books, several states in the U.S. have passed their own privacy statues to fill in the gap. As of 2025, at least 17 states have enacted some form of general consumer privacy laws. These states include: (1) California; (2) Colorado; (3) Connecticut; (4) Delaware; (5) Florida; (6) Iowa; (7) Maryland; (8) Minnesota; (9) Montana; (10) Nebraska; (11) New Hampshire; (12) New Jersey; (13) Oregon; (14) Tennessee; (15) Texas; (16) Utah; and (17) Virginia.

At the start of the new year, three other states join the list as ...

Legal Update: The Implications of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 Expiring

Taylor A. Gast, Lindsey M. Mead — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 09:00:03 -0400

The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (“CISA”) expired yesterday on September 30, 2025.

Though Congress discussed renewing the statute prior to its expiration, CISA was not officially reauthorized by the federal government.

CISA was designed to encourage private organizations to share cybersecurity information with other private sector entities and the federal government through the Department of Homeland Security, aiming to strengthen overall monitoring capabilities and bolster collective defense against cyber threats. In particular, the statute ...

AG Warns About Fake College Websites: How to Protect Yourself and Your Child

Alexander S. Rusek — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:00:04 -0400

Choosing a college or university is one of the most important, and expensive, decisions students and families will ever make. Unfortunately, scammers know this too, and they are using fake websites to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting applicants.

Recently, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a consumer alert warning about fraudulent websites that impersonate real colleges and universities. These sites are designed to look convincing but have no connection to legitimate institutions. Instead, they trick students into sharing sensitive ...

Recommendations on AI and Copyrightability from the U.S. Copyright Office’s Latest Report

Lindsey M. Mead — Tue, 06 May 2025 09:00:05 -0400

To hear more on this topic, business & IP attorney, Lindsey Mead, recently appeared on an episode of Expert Connexions to discuss the copyrightability of AI-generated content. See the interview here.

The United States Copyright Office (the “Office”) released the latest part in its Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence on January 29, 2025. Part 1, titled “Digital Replicas” was published on July 31, 2024 and discussed videos, images, and audio recordings that are manipulated to falsely depict individuals and information. This practice of creating ...

Robot Lawyers? FTC Targets AI Legal Services

Robert A. Hamor — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 09:00:06 -0500

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is continuing its firm stance in regulating companies making unsubstantiated or exaggerated claims about their products or services employing artificial intelligence (AI).

A New Executive Order Has Been Issued on Artificial Intelligence

Taylor A. Gast, Lindsey M. Mead — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 09:00:07 -0500

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump revoked former President Joe Biden’s executive order related to the utilization of artificial intelligence (“AI”).

Holiday Talks: Essential Estate Planning and Tech Safety for Aging Family Members

Matthew S. Fedor, Lindsey M. Mead — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 09:00:08 -0500

Now is a busy time for businesses as they wrap things up before year-end. But the holiday season can be stressful for a different reason when the owner or some of the employees are responsible for the care of aging family members on top of working full-time.

What is a Deepfake and How Might it Impact Your Business?

Taylor A. Gast, Lindsey M. Mead — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 09:00:09 -0400

With the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its various synthetic media outputs, deepfakes are just one of many new risks to businesses. Deepfakes pose considerable threats to companies, potentially damaging reputation, trust, and financial stability through malicious impersonation and manipulation of digital content.

DOL Echoes Employee Benefits and Cybersecurity Best Practices

Amanda J. Dernovshek, Taylor A. Gast, Mindi M. Johnson — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 09:00:10 -0400

On April 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) issued its first cybersecurity best practices guidance for retirement plans. The EBSA guidance was highly anticipated as the frequency and cost of data breaches affecting employee benefit plans continues to rise.

Risks Make AI Workplace Policies a Requirement

Taylor A. Gast — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 09:00:11 -0400

Artificial intelligence (AI) is fast becoming an integral element in the operation of virtually every business and organization.

Legal Insights Into Businesses Using AI

Taylor A. Gast — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 09:00:12 -0400

The AI Revolution is here! Startups across our region are using AI tools in innovative new ways. But could there be legal pitfalls you haven’t considered?

Cybersecurity Month Serves as Reminder to Take Proactive Steps

Taylor A. Gast — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 09:00:13 -0400

Whether you are the CEO of a big corporation working in the office six days a week or an analyst working remotely from home entering data, everyone is at risk of a cyber-attack. Despite the fact that all organizations, regardless of size, are at risk, few have preventative measures in place, or have even planned for how they would respond in the event of an attack.

Cybersecurity Impact on Small Businesses in Wake of Colonial Pipeline

Taylor A. Gast — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 09:00:14 -0400

In the wake of the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, cyber attacks such as ransomware and phishing continue to be a major threat for all businesses, large or small. Even with precautions in place, it is not a matter of "if" but "when" a business will experience an attack. In the case of Colonial Pipeline, the hackers not only demanded and received millions from Colonial Pipeline in May 2021, but the resulting ransomware attack forced the company into a fuel distribution shutdown, making headlines across the country and causing gas shortages on the east coast. The attack also compromised thousands of individuals' personal information.

Department of Labor Releases Employee Benefits and Cybersecurity Best Practices

Amanda J. Dernovshek, Taylor A. Gast — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 09:00:15 -0400

On April 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL’s”) Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) issued its first cybersecurity best practices guidance for retirement plans. The EBSA guidance has been highly anticipated as the frequency and cost of data breaches affecting employee benefit plans continues to rise. The EBSA guidance focuses on actions that plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, record-keepers, and plan participants can take.

HIPAA Compliance Considerations During the Pandemic

Julie LaVille Hamlet — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 09:00:16 -0500

This article has been updated with new information since it was originally published on November 16, 2020.

As health care providers continue to face new challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for providers to maintain compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”). Although the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) has loosened some requirements to allow health care providers flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of the patient protections under the HIPAA Privacy Rule have remained intact.

Minimizing Cybersecurity Risks for Remote Workers

Taylor A. Gast, Robert A. Hamor — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 09:00:17 -0500

With more employees working remotely for the foreseeable future, a resulting increase in spoofing and other hacking attempts is becoming a very common and real threat. It is imperative for a business to have the proper protection policies and procedures in place.

In the following video, moderated by Patricia Scott, attorneys Taylor Gast and Robert Hamor discuss ways to minimize risk and avoid disaster as more employees work remotely. This video touches on the recent rise in computer hacking attempts, along with a discussion on strategies to protect businesses and employees.

Click the thumbnail below to view the full video.

This video is for general information purposes only and IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE. If you seek legal counsel or need help in determining how this information applies to a specific situation, contact a Foster Swift business & tax law attorney before taking any action.

Health Care Providers Face Growing Ransomware Risks, and Potential Sanctions for Paying Ransom

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 09:00:18 -0500

As if COVID-19 wasn’t enough of a challenge for many struggling hospitals and health care systems, there is another growing threat they must guard against: cyberattacks.

On October 28, 2020, the FBI, Department of Health and Human Services, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a report warning of "an increased and imminent cybercrime threat" to U.S. hospitals and health care providers.

Cyber Insurance: Is it right for you?

Amanda J. Dernovshek, Taylor A. Gast — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 09:00:19 -0500

We are frequently asked about insurance policies that cover internet-based risks like those involving network security like data breaches and ransomware, as well as data privacy related risks like class action lawsuits for privacy violations and costs related to the increasingly complex landscape of privacy rules.

Legal Cybersecurity Hotline Launched

Taylor A. Gast — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 09:00:20 -0400

This blog post has since been updated with new information

Hackers are more sophisticated than ever. It is often not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ a data breach will occur. October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and with new threats frequently reported in the media; individuals, businesses, municipalities and other organizations need to do their due diligence in preparing for the inevitable.