When an actor gets hacked

Like many CIOs these days, actor George Clooney found out the hard way that databases can get hacked and information can be leaked. Clooney's medical records were grabbed out of the system at a New Jersey hospital where he was taken following a recent motorcycle accident. More than two dozen members of the hospital staff, including doctors, were suspended without pay following an investigation.

Tough luck, you might say. But this is a problem everywhere, not just at hospitals or even at financial centers that handle large amounts of money. Every CIO must make sure that databases are as tight as a drum and cannot be breached. "We conduct audits on a regular basis to make sure our systems are protecting individuals' rights," Eurice Rojas, the hospital's vice president of external affairs, told The Associated Press.

Do you? Is your staff well-trained in preventing intrusions? And more importantly, does the staff of your company know there are consequences to violating a person's privacy? While securing data is probably the most important job you have--and the most difficult--letting insiders know that security violations will not be tolerated is just as important, even if it is for a peek at a Hollywood hunk's medical chart. -Judi