New Senate bill aims to prevent, deter data breaches
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday aims to quell the ever-increasing tide of data breaches by requiring businesses to follow guidelines for the safe storage of data and imposing large fines to violators.
The 100-page measure, introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and called the Personal Data Protection and Breach Accountability Act of 2011, would require businesses with data of more than 10,000 customers to implement privacy and security programs to ensure the information is protected. As part of such programs, businesses would be required to conduct risk assessments and regularly test key controls and systems.
“My goal is to prevent and deter data breaches that put people at risk of identity theft and other serious harm both by helping protect consumers' data before breaches occur, and by holding entities accountable when consumers' personally-identifiable information is compromised,” Blumenthal said in a news release.
