On July 25, 2019, Andrew Cuomo, New York’s governor, signed the Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act, or SHIELD for short, into law. While some of the amendments took effect October 2019, the rest of the law is still yet to take effect. March is the first month that the entire law will be active, allowing New Yorkers to benefit from the large boost in cyber security and personal data preservation. While you may have heard of the new law, you may not fully understand how the New York SHIELD Act will be able to help you. In today’s blog, Proteli Information Technology, the best cybersecurity company in Manhattan, will go over some of the benefits of the New York SHIELD Act and how we can help you.
Changes To Data Security
With the coming of the SHIELD Act next month, cybersecurity and data protection are getting a much needed ally in the form of this modern piece of legislation. Keep reading to learn more about the changes to cybersecurity the SHIELD Act is going to bring.
Broader Definition Of Private Information
As of right now, private information, also referred to as personal information and/or personally identifiable information, encompasses things like social security numbers (SSN), credit and debit card information, bank account information, and online passwords. While all of these things are and should always be considered private information, laws have yet to account for newer forms of personal information that should also be considered private. The SHIELD Act will help broaden what the state of New York defines as private information to include things like biometric information, email addresses and usernames with a password and/or security questions/answers, credit/debit card and bank account information that doesn’t use a password or security code, and more.
Expanded Definition Of A Breach
In the past, a breach has only been described as the unauthorized acquisition of digital data. While this is a correct definition of the term, it doesn’t always cover the extent of what a data breach can entail. The SHIELD Act will help expand the definition of a breach in digital security to also include unauthorized access of digital data that also endangers the security and confidentiality of private information of any kind. The affected company, organization, or person must provide proof of the unauthorized access, but with this new law, more protection will be offered to those affected by data breaches.
Larger Breach Notification Scope
Previous cybersecurity laws only covered and notified those who conducted business in New York, which meant some residents or companies may not always get notified when a breach happens. With the SHIELD Act in place, more individuals and companies will become notified should a data breach ever happen. The new law requires any person or business that owns or licenses private information of a New York resident to notify individuals of a data breach should one ever happen. With the NY SHIELD Act, more people will know that their personal information may be affected and can take the appropriate actions in time.
New Data Security Requirements
One of the biggest changes that comes with the SHIELD Act are the new data security requirements. With this new law, companies are required to adopt and use reasonable cybersecurity functions to help protect the confidentiality of private information for employees, customers/clients, and any third-party vendors they may work with. Businesses in New York will have to have data security programs in place with specific parameters set up. New York companies will also have to include data protection features like risk assessment, employee training, and regular data disposal.
While it’s not part of the SHIELD Act, the governor also signed Senate Bill S3582, which will require all credit reporting agencies that suffer a data breach which contains social security numbers to provide identity theft prevention and other mitigation services to those affected.
With New York boosting the enforcement of online privacy and private information protection, it’s important for all companies, businesses, and organizations to have the proper cybersecurity solutions in place. Here at Proteli Information Technology, we can offer you some of the best personalized cybersecurity services. Our Manhattan cybersecurity company has years of experience working with companies both big and small.
Learn more about our cybersecurity solutions, get to know our Manhattan cybersecurity company, or contact Proteli Information Technology to get started on your custom cybersecurity solutions today.
