April Showers Bring May Flowers & Identity Theft Compliance Deadlines
By Charlene A. Brownlee and Ronald G. London
Finding it difficult to keep up with the growing body of federal and state privacy regulations? You are not alone. In fact, the deadline for compliance with the Massachusetts Standards for the Protection of Personal Information (the Regulations) have been extended twice, recognizing organizations require more time to develop comprehensive identity theft prevention programs. The new compliance date, announced Feb. 12 by the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, is Jan. 1, 2010.
If your business is subject to the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Red Flag Rules, your identity theft prevention program must be in place by May 1, 2009. As you finalize your Red Flag Program, keep in mind the requirements of the Massachusetts Regulations, which are more onerous than the requirements of the Red Flag Rules in certain regards. For example, the Regulations impose more specific data security requirements such as the encryption of laptops and portable media.
Let us know if you have any questions or would like us to assist you in creating or administering such a program. Continue reading...
