Congress Debates Data Breach Legislation
Information Today, Vol 26, No. 11, p. 17, December 2009
3 Pages Posted: 11 Oct 2013
Date Written: December 1, 2009
Abstract
The problem of data breaches is widespread and not going away anytime soon. According to data compiled by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, nearly 340 million data records containing personally identifying information have been “compromised due to security breaches” since 2005. Over 200 data breaches have already occurred in 2009. Individual breaches can range from just a few records to tens of millions.
Congress is now considering a national data breach notification law that would apply across all 50 states. The “Data Accountability and Trust Act” (H.R. 2221) would provide for a uniform notification policy, require the Federal Trade Commission to develop standards for data security, require data brokers to provide access by individuals to their personal records and correct any errors, and allow both the FTC and state attorneys general to initiate lawsuits against companies for non-compliance.
Keywords: privacy, data breach, Congress, notification, FTC, hacking
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