AOL takes action over the massive internal privacy breach

AOL takes action over the massive internal privacy breach

Time Warner’s internet division AOL found itself in massive controversies after it accidentally released the search data of thousands of their customers online.

The company later issued an apology saying that the release was a mistake. AOL has now taken some serious actions against the people responsible for this debacle.

AOL said that they have fired two AOL employees and in addition, its chief technology officer has left the company.

The company confirmed that Maureen Govern, the technology chief, will be replaced on an interim basis by John McKinley.

AOL has added in a statement that they are going to take some steps to prevent similar incidences in the future:

• Create a task force led by senior executives to review privacy and data-retention policies.
• Place additional limits on employee access to data, regardless of whether they are linked to individual accounts.
• Evaluate technologies designed to flag sensitive information. Under such a system, for instance, a 16-digit string might be assumed to be credit card number and kept out of research databases.
• Improve employee education and awareness on privacy.