Tax season soon will soon be upon us and many not-so-eager taxpayers will share sensitive personal information about themselves, their dependents, their employees, and others with their trusted professional tax preparers for processing. What many of these preparers might not realize is that federal law and a growing number of state laws obligate them to
Massachusetts Governor Announces Cybersecurity Program
State and local governments have increasingly become targets of cybersecurity attacks. This year cybersecurity attacks on Baltimore and Lincoln County, North Carolina reportedly will cost those government entities $18.2 million and as much as $400,000, respectively to recover from the attacks. Last year, Atlanta spent more than $7 million to recover from a ransomware attack.
US Senate Bill Passes, Seeking to Establish “Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Teams”
More than 500 United States schools (connected with 54 different education entities such as school districts and colleges) have been infected with ransomware during the first nine months of 2019, according to a recent report by cybersecurity firm Armor, making the education sector one of the leading ransomware targets, following only municipalities as the top
CCPA Amendments Updated, Finalized, and Moving on to Governor Newsom
The California Consumer Privacy Act is almost here! The groundbreaking law takes effect January 1, 2020. Covered businesses and their service providers have already started preparing, as the CCPA continues to evolve since it was introduced. California’s legislative session ended on September 13th, with some final modifications to bills that would amend certain
OCR Recognizes Insider Threats to HIPAA PHI, You Should Too
As we have observed here, news reports of security risks, hackings and breaches caused by individuals, terror groups or even countries around the world certainly are important and can be unsettling. But, for many organizations, including healthcare providers and business associates, a significant and perhaps more immediate area of data risk is malicious insiders.
Expansion of Technology at K-12 Schools Comes with Data Security Risks for Students and Parents
A new school year is upon us and some students are already back at school. Upon their return, many students may experience new technologies and equipment rolled out by their schools districts, such as online education resources, district-provided equipment, etc. to enhance the education they provide and improve district administration. However, a recent report, “
Licensed by Your State’s Insurance Commissioner? Comprehensive Data Security Requirements Are Headed Your Way
Most businesses in the insurance industry have one thing in common – they collect and maintain significant amounts of sensitive, nonpublic information including personal information. Not surprisingly, insurance-related businesses are a target of cyberattacks and a few have faced some of the largest data breaches reported to date. Beyond the headlines, however, small and mid-sized insurance companies face similar risks, and governments have stepped up their scrutiny of cybersecurity. Hearing the calls for legislation and regulation, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) adopted a Data Security Model Law with the goal of having it adopted in all states within a few years. So far, eight states (see below) have adopted a version of the Model Law and it looks like more are on the way.
What is the NAIC’s Data Security Model Law?
In an effort that largely began with establishing a task force in 2014, the NAIC adopted a Data Security Model Law in November 2017. The Model Law is intended to provide a benchmark for any cybersecurity program. The requirements in the Model Law track some familiar data security frameworks, such as the HIPAA Security Rule. It also has many similarities to the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) regulations (specifically the 23 NYCRR 500). Note that licensees are not subject to the Model Law unless the state where that licensee is licensed adopts a version of the Model Law. At that time, the licensee must comply with that law.
Who is Subject to the Model Law?
The Model Law generally applies to “Licensees,” defined as:
any person licensed, authorized to operate, or registered, or required to be licensed, authorized, or registered pursuant to the insurance laws of this State but shall not include a purchasing group or a risk retention group chartered and licensed in a state other than this State or a Licensee that is acting as an assuming insurer that is domiciled in another state or jurisdiction.
Licensees range from large insurance carriers to small independent adjusters. These include individuals providing insurance related services, firms such as agency and brokerage businesses, and insurance companies. Additionally, there may be business that require a license, but are not traditionally considered to be in the insurance business. Examples include car rental companies and travel agencies that offer insurance packages in connection with their primary business.
The Model Rule provides exceptions for certain licensees. For example, licensees with fewer than ten employees (including independent contractors) are exempt from the requirement to maintain an information security program. However, they remain subject to the other provisions in the Model Law, such as the requirement to provide notification in the case of certain cybersecurity events.
What are some of the requirements of the Model Law?
Continue Reading Licensed by Your State’s Insurance Commissioner? Comprehensive Data Security Requirements Are Headed Your Way
Is Your Small Business Prioritizing Cybersecurity?
A recent study surveying small and mid sized businesses (SMBs) found that 67% had experienced a cyber attack in 2018, and yet that same study found that cybersecurity is still “not on the to do list” for SMBs – 60% of the SMBs surveyed responded that they did not have a cybersecurity plan in place,
New York Enacts the SHIELD Act
On Thursday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (SHIELD Act), sponsored by Senator Kevin Thomas and Assemblymember Michael DenDekker. The SHIELD Act, which amends the State’s current data breach notification law, imposes more expansive data security and data breach notification requirements on companies, in
Illinois’ Attorney General Wants to Know About Data Breaches
Possibly adding to the list of states that have updated their privacy and breach notification laws this year, the Illinois legislature passed Senate Bill 1624 which would update the state’s current breach notification law to require most “data collectors,” which includes entities that, for any purpose, handle, collect, disseminate, or otherwise deal with nonpublic personal