Privacy and Information Security Law

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Privacy and Information Security Law Section

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2026 Articles

2025 Joint Midyear Meeting Photos February 2026 The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
2026 Annual Meeting Photos September 2026 ISBA members and guests gathered at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis on June 11–12, 2026, for the Annual Meeting, which featured outstanding CLE programming, networking, and business meetings. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the Annual Meeting a success!
Become an Illinois Bar Foundation Champion By Jessica R. Durkin February 2026 At least twice a year at ISBA Annual and Midyear Meetings, we are pitched by colleagues and the Illinois Bar Foundation to become a “Champion.” But what is a Champion really, and what’s in it for us?
Cybersecurity in the International Maritime Industry: Threats, Risks, and the Expanding Scope of Seaworthiness By H. Vincent Draa September 2026 The maritime industry is now one of the world’s most heavily targeted critical sectors. Digital transformation—though essential—has opened new avenues for malicious actors ranging from sophisticated APT groups to ransomware syndicates and cyber‑enabled pirates. Recent legal scholarship and regulatory changes confirm that cybersecurity has become inseparable from the doctrine of seaworthiness. Failure to address foreseeable cyber risks can give rise to contractual liability, regulatory sanctions, and operational failures.
Highlights From the ISBA 2026 Solo & Small Firm Conference in Peoria October 2026 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted its 2026 Solo & Small Firm Conference: From Log Cabin to Legacy: Growing and Sustaining a Solo or Small Firm in Illinois, September 17–18 at the Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette, 501 Main Street. The conference provided attendees with practical best practices, valuable insights, and strategies to support every stage of their professional journey—from launching a practice to building and sustaining a successful firm.
HIPAA Settlements Continue Emphasis on Risk Analysis By Rick L. Hindmand & Emily Johnson February 2026 Learn more about the recommendations to mitigate or prevent cyber-threats promulgated by the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 
Illinois Courts Uphold Survivor Rights and Remedies Related to Nonconsensual Dissemination of Private Sexual Images By Jenn Luczkowiak February 2026 As technology continues to positively change and transform our world, it also presents new ways in which abusers and criminal actors can harm. Individuals who disseminate private sexual images of others without their consent in Illinois may find themselves liable under civil law (740 ILCS 190/1) and criminal law (720 ILCS 5/11-23.5). In 2024, Illinois appellate courts grappled with cases related to these statutes and set promising precedents for survivors’ rights related to nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images. 
Illinois Enacts Law to Regulate Frontier AI Developers By Jenifer L. Johnson September 2026 As Artificial Intelligence models continue to proliferate, Illinois has become one of the few states thus far to take legislative action addressing the risks of frontier AI. Frontier AI generally refers to the most advanced general-purpose AI models that can perform a wide variety of tasks. This summary highlights the principal compliance obligations and enforcement-related provisions of the new legislation.
State of Privacy: A 2026 Survey of State Privacy Law By Kelly V. Carter October 2026 The absence of a comprehensive federal privacy law continues to drive state-level action across the country. As of mid-2026, more than twenty states have enacted some form of comprehensive consumer privacy framework, and AI-specific regulation has arrived in earnest at the state level. Arguably, this year marks a notable inflection point in that legislative arc: three new state comprehensive privacy laws took effect January 1st; several existing laws were meaningfully amended; and AI governance obligations converged with privacy compliance in ways that are reshaping corporate programs. 
Where the Workplace Ends: The Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act By Mara Baltabols & Sarah Milcarek September 2026 Illinois employees can expect a certain level of privacy in the workplace as to their personal content and interactions on the internet, as long as the employee does not cross the line between work and play. While employees have the right to their own autonomy, personal beliefs, and to engage in the use of lawful products, employers also have the right to maintain a safe workplace that properly reflects their business’s mission, values, and confidential information.
Where the Workplace Ends: The Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act By Mara Baltabols & Sarah Milcarek February 2026 Illinois employees can expect a certain level of privacy in the workplace as to their personal content and interactions on the internet, as long as the employee does not cross the line between work and play. While employees have the right to their own autonomy, personal beliefs, and to engage in the use of lawful products, employers also have the right to maintain a safe workplace that properly reflects their business’s mission, values, and confidential information.