Connecticut Sues Accenture over Ohio Breach
As reported in the Scott and Scott Business and Technology law blog:
Connecticut hired Accenture to develop network systems that would allow it to consolidate payroll, accounting, personnel and other functions. Information related to Connecticut’s employees was contained on a data tape stolen from the car of an Accenture intern working on an unrelated, though similar project for the State of Ohio. (The tape also contained personal information on about 1.3 million Ohio residents.) The intern apparently had been using the Connecticut program as a template for the Ohio project.
(Christopher Barnett, “Accenture Sued for Negligence by the State of Connecticut“)
Some quick takeaway lessons:
- Build new projects with new data
- Outsourcers are likely to cut corners in ways they don’t think you’ll catch
- Supervise your interns
4. Require that all intellectual property produced under the contract will be owned outright by you, not the consulting firm, and that any breach of this provision will produce irreparable harm.