The FTC recently extended the enforcement deadline for the Red
Flags Rule until November 1, 2009. The Rule was originally
scheduled to go into effect on November 1, 2008, but on Wednesday,
July 29, 2009, the FTC announced that it was delaying enforcement
for the third time because a number of industries and entities
within the FTC's jurisdiction still expressed confusion and
uncertainty about what types of entities would be subject to the
Rule and what the Rule actually required of covered entities. To
assist small businesses and other entities subject to the Rule, the
FTC issued new resources and guidance and again extended the
compliance deadline.
The FTC's Red Flags Web site, www.ftc.gov/redflagsrule, offers resources to
help entities determine if they are covered and, if they are, how
to comply with the Rule. It includes an online compliance template
that enables companies to design their own Identity Theft
Prevention Program through an easy-to-use form, as well
