An employee’s innocence of an offense for which he was fired is irrelevant so long as the employer believed that the accusation was true and acted in good faith, a federal appeals court has ruled. In the case, an employee was fired for accessing pornography at work. The employee sued his company, alleging that his age—he was 57 years old at the time—was the real reason he was fired.

While an employee breached internal corporate policy when he downloaded company documents without permission, he did not violate federal law because he was an authorized user of the computer network, a federal appeals court has ruled. The company had sued the former employee under a law that makes it illegal for unauthorized personnel to access a corporate network.

The United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission recently presented a report to Congress that took a look at China’s espionage and cyber-hacking efforts against the United States. Read the full report.

A California appeals court has ruled that a woman who was granted accommodations by her employer for her disability was discriminated against after a new manager removed those accommodations. The employee was awarded $200,000 for lost wages, medical expenses, and emotional distress.

A couple may pursue a lawsuit against their bank for negligent security after a hacker broke into the couple’s online account and stole thousands of dollars, a federal appeals court has ruled. The court allowed the suit to proceed, finding that the bank’s lax security procedures could have led to the theft.

Two programs are using technology to track people who are prone to wander. Project Lifesaver International and the Alzheimer’s Association offer personal locators that help those responsible for patients and family members to keep tabs on them.

An employee may pursue a lawsuit against her employer after a medical examination led to her termination, a federal appeals court has ruled. The case concerns the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the use of job-specific physical agility tests to determine whether an employee can perform a certain job.

The Indian Ocean Naval Conflicts Database (IONCD), created by The Nixon Center in Washington, D.C., tracks naval conflicts between states in the Indian Ocean from 1939 to 2007.Take a closer look here.

A bill (S. 139) that would require that companies notify consumers if their personally identifiable information has been accessed has been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Under the bill, companies that possess such data would be required to disclose any data breach.

A bill (H.R. 1174) that would reorganize the structure of disaster management agencies within the government has been approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill is still pending in the House Homeland Security Committee.

A bill (S. 1649) that would strengthening security at laboratories that handle dangerous pathogens has been approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The Senate has not announced whether it will consider the measure.

A bill (S. 510) that would allow the government to suspend the registration of a food production facility due to unsafe conditions and issue a recall of adulterated food has been approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The Senate has not announced whether it will consider the bill.

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., has issued an executive order requiring the state to draft a policy to address domestic violence that spills over into the workplace. The policy, which is to be in place by August, will include a training program to increase awareness of the issue and the resources available for victims.

A new law (formerly S.B. 1856) establishes new rights for tenants who are being stalked or harassed by their landlords or employees of their landlords. Under the new law, such victims may be released from the terms of their rental agreement. If the victim wishes to stay in the property, he or she may change the locks on their doors without the landlord’s permission. If the harasser has left the landlord’s employ, the tenant must provide the landlord with a key to the new lock. If the tenant has a restraining order against the landlord, the tenant need not provide a key. In such cases, the landlord may enter the rental property in an emergency if accompanied by law enforcement or a fire official acting in his or her official capacity.

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