Wed, Aug 06, 2014
By: Jim Beran
Data breaches have become more sophisticated and damaging as technology advances. This year, we’ve seen big name organizations like Target, Neiman Marcus, and Home Depot face issues with data breaches.
Though every state can be affected, Florida ranks number one in identity theft cases. In an attempt to combat the issue, Florida recently tightened its data breach law to protect personal information of patients and consumers.
Passed in July, the new law increases security accountability for all organizations, with a focus on healthcare. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the healthcare industry alone accounted for 43.8% of all breaches in 2013. Here are some ways to find out what the new Florida data breach law means for your business.
Stricter deadlines
To crack down on data breaches quicker, the new law requires organizations notify the Florida Department of Legal Affairs and potential victims within 30 days of a known data breach. This short deadline requires businesses to act fast to avoid a fine of $1,000 per day for the first 30 days and $50,000 for each subsequent 30-day period. To remain ahead of the curve, if your organization collects personal information of individuals, now is the time to consider updating the company’s incident response plans.
Data destruction and retention programs
Another important feature of the new law requires businesses to implement proper data destruction and retention plans to better secure information. For businesses and government entities that collect personal information in Florida, adopting data security and document destruction services through a compliant organization is necessary.
Ultimately, the new law places tighter guidelines on businesses to provide patients and consumers with more security in Florida. For more information on how your business could be affected, view the full law here. At Gilmore Services, we are NAID Certified to offer secure shredding as well as document storage services to keep your business compliant with new laws and regulations. If it’s time for your business to strengthen its information security, give us a call and find out about the hidden costs and dangers of document self storage.
