Cyber-attacks on big and small companies are making headlines these days. Valuable information is getting compromised. This has led the European Commission to consider revising the European Union’s personal data breach notification laws.
Most data about customers like names, addresses and bank account details is held by ISP’s and Telecom operators. According to the ePrivacy Directive they are required to keep this data safe and inform users if sensitive information has been compromised. They are also required to inform about data breaches to the relevant national authority.
Sometimes national laws conflict with those implemented by the European Union. What is important at this point of time is to create a law that would be equal for all Member States.Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes is currently seeking opinion related to laws and regulations from all Telecom operators ISPs, Member States, data protection authorities, national regulatory authorities and consumer organizations.
“The duty to notify data breaches is an important part of the new E.U. telecoms rules,” she said. “But we need consistency across the E.U. so businesses don’t have to deal with a complicated range of different national schemes. I want to provide a level playing field, with certainty for consumers and practical solutions for businesses.”
In addition, Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding is of the opinion that the data breach notification should also include online banking, video games, shopping and social media.
“It is important that users are notified if someone has unlawful access to their data. A social network with more than 200 million users in the E.U. must stick to E.U. law, even if it is based in the United States and its data is stored in a so-called cloud,” said Reding referring to Facebook.
“Seven days is much too long,” she said, referring to Sony’s delay in reporting a security breach involving 77 million PlayStation Network account holders in April this year.
ISP’s, operators can send in their opinions until Sept. 9. Input is required on security techniques, notifying victims, the means and content of notifications and levels of breaches (based on their seriousness, urgency).
The European Commission hopes that the new rules will help in better data protection thereby reducing the no of data breach cases.
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