Data breaches at government agencies
and mega companies lead daily news cycles. Millions of individuals
worry about the safety of their personal information. Against this
backdrop of insecurity, the Federal Trade Commission recently
released Start with Security, A Guide for
Business.
This timely Guide features
lessons learned from more than 50 law enforcement actions brought
by the FTC against businesses. Because the actions were settled, no
findings were made by a court. Still, the Guide offers a
10-step checklist as a compliance guide for businesses to
follow.
Ten Essential Steps
- "Start with security." Sensitive
information, from data on employment applications to consumer
information, pervades most businesses. Security should be part of
all decisions the business makes. Minimize the collection or
storage of personal information – don't collect what you
don't need and keep it only as long as necessary.
