U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today introduced two bipartisan bills to better prepare businesses and protect consumers against cyber security attacks and dangerous data breaches. In New York State alone, the number of data security breaches reported to the Attorney General tripled between 2006 and 2013, exposing a total of 22.8 million personal records. The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Credit Act introduced with Senator Jim Moran (R-KA) and the Data Breach Notification and Punishing Cyber Criminals Act introduced with Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) would establish a comprehensive, national approach to defending against 21st century data threats.
"Hackers have put consumers and businesses in their crosshairs, and have shown they can easily access confidential information we trust can and should remain private. It's time to improve our security and establish standards that better protect consumers in New York and across the country," said Senator Gillibrand. "This legislation is an important first step toward a national solution and opportunity to address our vulnerabilities, strengthening defenses against emerging data breaches, taking necessary safeguards to help victims and prosecuting perpetrators of these attacks."
"Consumers and businesses face constant and evolving threats from cyber criminals who seeks to do us harm. When it comes to detecting and preempting these threats and protecting American consumers from identity theft and financial fraud, information sharing within trusted industry networks has proven to be a valuable tool across numerous sectors of our economy," said Senator Moran. "The Cyber Information Sharing Tax Credit Act will make participation in these vital ISACs more accessible for all companies, especially those who may not fully understand their risk of cyber-attack or who would not otherwise have the resources to participate in an information sharing organization. As more industries and businesses participate, these networks will help businesses understand and improve their cyber posture and ensure the timely dissemination of information on emerging and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats."
"Last year there were more than 780 data breach incidents that exposed millions of Americans' credit card numbers and personal information like medical history and Social Security numbers," Senator Kirk said. "By creating a low-cost, easy to implement standard for companies to notify consumers when personal information is stolen and increasing penalties on cyber criminals, we can stay ahead of the hackers and better protect Americans from cyber crimes."
"Consumers are at a greater risk of hackers stealing their personal information than ever before," said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. "A national, comprehensive strategy to protect corporations, families and businesses from data breaches is long overdue. I applaud Senator Gillibrand for backing an important tool in stopping future attacks."