Data Security and Privacy Law

Since 2005 news reports regularly discuss identity theft, data privacy and data security. From hackers infiltrating computer systems and stealing credit card numbers of customers, to absentminded employees losing a laptop containing senisative data, data privacy and security risks abound.

Does Your Company Employ Data Privacy And Security Policies?

Few corporations can afford a Chief Privacy Officer dedicated to ensuring the company is protected from the liability of having its sensitive data disclosed. But with the complex and confusing data privacy and security laws coming from both the federal government and virtually every state, no business dealing with sensitive data can afford to be without competent legal advice on data security and privacy.

Privacy Policy Essential Business Tool

With a dramatic increase in legislation and consumer awareness of identity theft, businesses are finding that security and privacy policies are becoming an essential business tool. In some highly regulated markets, it is difficult to do business at all without a sound set of policies. More than ever, organizations must consider how effective information security and data privacy policies actually enable business.

Not Just A Necessary Evil – But Definitely Necessary!

Management at many organizations still views information security as a necessary evil. With a slumping economy, increased competitive pressures and rising business costs, expenses such as information security come under great scrutiny. If it doesn’t contribute to the bottom line, then it might be expendable. As always, the internal sales process for information security is an uphill battle. As a part of the overall security program, information security policies often fall to the wayside in tough times. They are deemed to be too complex or too costly to implement.

While businesses are tempted to postpone or ignore their security policy development, the market is creating a different set of priorities. Now more than ever, an organization must consider how effective information security and privacy policies actually enable business. With a dramatic increase in legislation and consumer awareness of identity theft, businesses are finding that security and privacy policies are becoming an essential business tool. In some highly regulated markets such as financial services, it is difficult to do business at all without a sound set of information security and data privacy policies.

International Data Security Requirements

There is hardly a business today that does not fall under some type of data protection or privacy regulation. There are now data protection and privacy laws in over 80 countries worldwide. In the last ten years, a dramatic wave of legislation in the United States created data protection requirements for financial services and healthcare. Now the rampant growth of identity theft and other cyber-crime has driven this protection to nearly any type of personal customer information. For example, as of November 2008 there were forty-four U.S. states that had some type of data breach notification law.

Ftc Red Flags

Is your business prepared to deal with the new Federal Trade Commission’s Red Flag rules to prevent identity theft? The FTC is likely to implement the requirement that business who provide any goods or services to consumers on credit (so loosely defined as accepting payment any time after the provisions of goods or services) implement a written policy and procedures to “flag” or provide warnings of potential identity theft indicators. This is a complex issue, and there may be severe consequences for failure to comply. Contact the experienced attorneys at the Byrne Law Group at 813-413-6565 today to learn how to safeguard your business.

Fortune 100 Corporate Security Experience

The experienced attorneys at the Byrne Law Group have been at the forefront of data privacy and security policy development. From the beginning of the security breaches in 2005, attorney John Byrne has represented and advised corporations of all sizes, from multi-billion dollar international conglomerates to small online merchant websites. Let the experienced attorneys of the Byrne Law Group assist you in creating and implementing a data privacy policy to ensure compliance and protect your business from liability.

We can provide an excellent and cost effective alternative to "big law firm" representation. As a small boutique firm, we can develop a custom fee arrangement that makes sense for you. We can tailor a fee arrangement that suits your needs based upon competitive contingency fees, hourly rates, or blended hourly and contingency fee arrangements. If you are an institutional client, please ask us about our competitive rates for volume-portfolios.