Other than California, New York now has some of the strictest cybersecurity regulations in the U.S. In 2017, New York passed a bill that regulates data privacy for the financial services. Now, the Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (SHIELD Act) is in effect as of March 21st. Unlike previous legislation, compliance is not limited to specific industries and pertains to any business that processes the personal information of New York residents. And, despite the current pandemic, lawmakers have not delayed the implementation of the new law.
Here is what you need to know to ensure compliance with the SHEILD Act.
Protected Data
Much of the data protected under the SHIELD act is already covered by the state’s breach notification laws. This includes social security numbers, driver license numbers, account numbers, and debit and credit card numbers. However, the new regulation expands the definition of protected data by also including biometric data, and email addresses in combination with passwords or security questions and answers.
The SHIELD Act also expands the definition of a security breach. A breach is considered to occur not just if an unauthorized person takes or uses private information, but also if that data is accessible to anyone not considered authorized to view that information. There are many examples of where this could possibly take place, including providing access of sensitive information to third party vendors who do not need to access that information or having the credentials of an email account compromised even though there was no sensitive data in the email folder.
Security Requirements
The SHIELD Act also lays out a series of cybersecurity protections needed to maintain compliance with the regulation. Broadly, the act requires businesses to put in place “reasonable safeguards” to ensure the privacy of their information. However, the regulation also requires organizations to maintain a written cybersecurity policy. One of the unique requirements of the policy is that organization must have at least one employee dedicated to maintaining cybersecurity procedures. In addition, cybersecurity policies need to address the following:
- Identification of internal and external security risks
- Assessment of the ability of technical safeguards to protect against identified risks
- The training of employees on security practices
- Reviewing security practices of third party vendors
- Proper detection and response to unauthorized access
- Regular testing of security controls
- Secure disposal of protected information within a reasonable time frame.
Conclusion
There are certain businesses that do not need to meet these exact security requirements. Small businesses with under 50 employees, for example, are exempt if they can demonstrate they have taken reasonable steps to ensure the privacy of their information. In addition, organization already regulated by other privacy laws such as HIPAA, Graham-Leach-Bliley Act, or New York Department of Financial Services regulations are covered if they maintain compliance with these other regulations.
Because the scope of the SHIELD Act is so broad and could affect many businesses outside of New York, it is very important for all organizations to carefully review the new regulation. New York is likely to begin enforcement of the regulations very soon, and non-compliant business may receive fines of $5,000 per violation with no penalty caps.
However, even businesses not affected by the SHIELD Act should think seriously about implementing some of the recommended security measures. More and more states are beginning to implement similar regulations, and the burden of implementation could be costly if it is left to the last minute.
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