Named And Shamed - Will Your Data Security Breach Make The Headlines?

In February 2005 database giant ChoicePoint revealed that 145,000 consumers across the United States were placed at risk by a recent data theft at the company. The data thieves created accounts for nonexistent debt collectors, insurance agencies and other companies, which gave them access to personal information stored on the ChoicePoint databases.

ChoicePoint originally notified its security breach only to those affected individuals that resided in California. The California Security Breach Notification Act (S.B. 1386), implemented in July 2003, requires notice to be given to Californian consumers of any breach in the security of unencrypted computerised personal information. At the time, California was the only US state to have implemented such legislation.