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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:
Kofi Jones
November 14, 2008
(617) 788-3652(617) 721-2231
Kofi.jones@state.ma.us
Rachael Liebert617-788-3654857-207-1550
rachael.liebert@state.ma.us
Business Community Given Additional Time to Comply with Identity TheftPrevention Regulations
BOSTON – November 14, 2008 – The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation(OCABR) today extended the deadline for compliance with standards for how businesses protectand store consumers’ personal information.Recognizing that the majority of breaches involve the theft of portable devices and that dataencryption significantly neutralizes consumer risk if information is lost or stolen, the regulationsissued in September call on businesses to encrypt documents sent over the Internet or saved onlaptops or flash drives, encrypt wirelessly transmitted data, and utilize up-to-date firewall protection that creates an electronic gatekeeper between the data and the outside world and only permits authorized users to access or transmit data.The regulations were initially set to take effect on January 1, 2009, but in light of interveningeconomic circumstances, OCABR has extended the deadline in order to provide flexibility to businesses that may be experiencing financial challenges brought on by national andinternational economic conditions.“These sensible measures are already widely used by many Massachusetts companies, but werecognize that some businesses, currently facing economic uncertainties, will benefit fromhaving additional time to comply,” said Undersecretary of Consumer Affairs and BusinessRegulation Daniel C. Crane. “The action taken today serves to provide flexibility to businessesworking to implement the necessary measures to safeguard their customers’ personal informationin a timely manner.”The new deadlines are as follows:
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS ANDBUSINESS REGULATION
10 Park Plaza – Suite 5170, Boston MA 02116(617) 973-8700 FAX (617) 973-8799www.mass.gov/consumer DEVAL L. PATRICK 
GOVERNOR 
TIMOTHY P. MURRAY
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR 
 DANIEL O’CONNELL
SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT
DANIEL C. CRANE
UNDERSECRETARY

201 CMR 17.00 - Extension of Deadlines - Press Release

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ARE YOU IN COMPLIANCE? Does your company store and/or maintain personal information about a resident of Massachusetts? Do you have client databases, direct deposit records, payroll files, 401K information, employee records files or a QuickBooks company database? If so you need to be aware of this new regulation. The new Massachusetts General Law (M.G.L.) Chapter 93H requires that companies that own, license, store or maintain personal information about a resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts establish minimum standards in safeguarding the personal information contained in both paper and electronic records. This new law’s further purpose is to: 1. Ensure security and confidentiality of information consistent with industry standards; 2. Protect against anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of information; 3. Protect against unauthorized access to or use of such information NSK Inc., along with Burns & Levinson are hosting a Free Seminar at the Omni Parker House Hotel, 50 School St., Boston, MA on February 24th, 2009, explaining: 1. The law and how it relates to you and your company. 2. The implications of the law 3. How to assess your information technology environment and make it comply with the new regulations. There will be three (3) 1 hour sessions during the day. For more information and to sign up please call us at 617-303-0480 X 224.
01 / 16 / 2009
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