Ride the Lightning
Cybersecurity and Future of Law Practice Blog
by Sharon D. Nelson Esq., President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc.
Attorney General Holder Calls for Federal Data Breach Notification Law
February 26, 2014
The Department of Justice issued a press release on Monday highlighting a video message by Attorney General Eric Holder who called on Congress to create a strong, national standard for promptly alerting consumers whose information might be compromised by cyberattacks. This legislation would strengthen the Justice Department's ability to combat crime, ensure individual privacy, and prevent identity theft, while also helping to bring cybercriminals to justice.
Holder said in part: “Today, I’m calling on Congress to create a strong, national standard for quickly alerting consumers whose information may be compromised. This would empower the American people to protect themselves if they are at risk of identity theft. It would enable law enforcement to better investigate these crimes – and hold compromised entities accountable when they fail to keep sensitive information safe (emphasis added). And it would provide reasonable exemptions for harmless breaches, to avoid placing unnecessary burdens on businesses that do act responsibly."
It's a decade or more late, but I applaud it all the same. Now, having dragged your feet for many years at the behest of lobbyists, let's get this done Congress.