Companies struggling to keep up with a patchwork of state laws related to data privacy and information security have three more to contend with, as new security-breach notification laws went into effect in Illinois, Louisiana and New Jersey on Jan. 1. Like existing statutes in more than 20 other states, the new laws prescribe various actions that companies are required to take in the event of a security breach involving the compromise of personal data about their customers. . For instance, New Jersey’s Identity Theft Prevention Act requires businesses to destroy all unneeded customer data and to notify consumers when sensitive data about them has been accessed by an unauthorized person. The law also limits the use of Social Security numbers on all items that are sent via postal mail. The link for this article located at ComputerWorld is no longer available. . For instance, New Jersey’s Identity Theft Prevention Act requires businesses to destroy all unneed. companies, struggling, patchwork, state, related, privacy, informati. . Benjamin D. Thomas
Despite the seemingly unending torrent of citizens' data pouring into the hands of identity thieves, Congress is unlikely to pass any data-security bills by the end of the year, according to Hill watchers. After the nationwide uproar when ChoicePoint admitted it sold 145,000 dossiers to Nigerian identity thieves, 20 states followed California's lead and passed laws requiring companies to notify citizens when their data had been compromised. . Now, companies are already acting as if the country had a national notification law, said Gail Hillebrand, a senior attorney at Consumers Union. In addition, Hillebrand said the strict state laws are more consumer-friendly than any proposals in Congress. "I would rather see Congress fail to act than pass a weak federal bill that gives less notice than consumers are already getting due to stronger state laws," Hillebrand said. The link for this article located at Wired News is no longer available. . Now, companies are already acting as if the country had a national notification law, said Gail Hille. despite, seemingly, unending, torrent, citizens', pouring, hands, identity, thieves. . Benjamin D. Thomas
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