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§2435. Notice of security breaches


Published: 2015

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The Vermont Statutes Online



Title

09

:
Commerce and Trade






Chapter

062

:
PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION






Subchapter

002
:
SECURITY BREACH NOTICE ACT










 

§

2435. Notice of security breaches

(a) This section

shall be known as the Security Breach Notice Act.

(b) Notice of

breach.

(1) Except as

set forth in subsection (d) of this section, any data collector that owns or

licenses computerized personally identifiable information that includes

personal information concerning a consumer shall notify the consumer that there

has been a security breach following discovery or notification to the data

collector of the breach. Notice of the security breach shall be made in the

most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay, but not later than

45 days after the discovery or notification, consistent with the legitimate

needs of the law enforcement agency, as provided in subdivisions (3) and (4) of

this subsection (b)(3), or with any measures necessary to determine the scope

of the security breach and restore the reasonable integrity, security, and

confidentiality of the data system.

(2) Any data

collector that maintains or possesses computerized data containing personally

identifiable information of a consumer that the data collector does not own or

license or any data collector that acts or conducts business in Vermont that

maintains or possesses records or data containing personally identifiable

information that the data collector does not own or license shall notify the

owner or licensee of the information of any security breach immediately

following discovery of the breach, consistent with the legitimate needs of law

enforcement as provided in subdivisions (3) and (4) of this subsection (b)(3).

(3) A data

collector or other entity subject to this subchapter shall provide notice of a

breach to the Attorney General or to the Department of Financial Regulation, as

applicable, as follows:

(A) A data

collector or other entity regulated by the Department of Financial Regulation

under Title 8 or this title shall provide notice of a breach to the Department.

All other data collectors or other entities subject to this subchapter shall

provide notice of a breach to the Attorney General.

(B)(i) The data

collector shall notify the Attorney General or the Department, as applicable,

of the date of the security breach and the date of discovery of the breach and

shall provide a preliminary description of the breach within 14 business days,

consistent with the legitimate needs of the law enforcement agency as provided

in this subdivision (3) and subdivision (4) of this subsection (b), of the data

collector's discovery of the security breach or when the data collector provides

notice to consumers pursuant to this section, whichever is sooner.

(ii)

Notwithstanding subdivision (B)(i) of this subdivision (b)(3), a data collector

who, prior to the date of the breach, on a form and in a manner prescribed by

the Attorney General, had sworn in writing to the Attorney General that it

maintains written policies and procedures to maintain the security of

personally identifiable information and respond to a breach in a manner

consistent with Vermont law shall notify the Attorney General of the date of

the security breach and the date of discovery of the breach and shall provide a

description of the breach prior to providing notice of the breach to consumers

pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection (b).

(iii) If the

date of the breach is unknown at the time notice is sent to the Attorney

General or to the Department, the data collector shall send the Attorney

General or the Department the date of the breach as soon as it is known.

(iv) Unless

otherwise ordered by a court of this State for good cause shown, a notice

provided under this subdivision (3)(B) shall not be disclosed to any person

other than the Department, the authorized agent or representative of the

Attorney General, a State's Attorney, or another law enforcement officer engaged

in legitimate law enforcement activities without the consent of the data

collector.

(C)(i) When the

data collector provides notice of the breach pursuant to subdivision (1) of

this subsection (b), the data collector shall notify the Attorney General or

the Department, as applicable, of the number of Vermont consumers affected, if

known to the data collector, and shall provide a copy of the notice provided to

consumers under subdivision (1) of this subsection (b).

(ii) The data

collector may send to the Attorney General or the Department, as applicable, a

second copy of the consumer notice, from which is redacted the type of

personally identifiable information that was subject to the breach, and which

the Attorney General or the Department shall use for any public disclosure of

the breach.

(4)(A) The

notice to a consumer required by this subsection shall be delayed upon request

of a law enforcement agency. A law enforcement agency may request the delay if

it believes that notification may impede a law enforcement investigation, or a

national or Homeland Security investigation or jeopardize public safety or

national or Homeland Security interests. In the event law enforcement makes the

request for a delay in a manner other than in writing, the data collector shall

document such request contemporaneously in writing, including the name of the

law enforcement officer making the request and the officer's law enforcement

agency engaged in the investigation. A law enforcement agency shall promptly

notify the data collector in writing when the law enforcement agency no longer

believes that notification may impede a law enforcement investigation, or a

national or Homeland Security investigation or jeopardize public safety or

national or Homeland Security interests. The data collector shall provide

notice required by this section without unreasonable delay upon receipt of a

written communication, which includes facsimile or electronic communication,

from the law enforcement agency withdrawing its request for delay.

(B) A Vermont

law enforcement agency with a reasonable belief that a security breach has or

may have occurred at a specific business shall notify the business in writing

of its belief. The agency shall also notify the business that additional

information on the security breach may need to be furnished to the Office of

the Attorney General or the Department of Financial Regulation and shall

include the website and telephone number for the Office and the Department in

the notice required by this subdivision. Nothing in this subdivision shall

alter the responsibilities of a data collector under this section or provide a

cause of action against a law enforcement agency that fails, without bad faith,

to provide the notice required by this subdivision.

(5) The notice

to a consumer shall be clear and conspicuous. The notice shall include a

description of each of the following, if known to the data collector:

(A) the incident

in general terms;

(B) the type of

personally identifiable information that was subject to the security breach;

(C) the general

acts of the data collector to protect the personally identifiable information

from further security breach;

(D) a telephone

number, toll-free if available, that the consumer may call for further

information and assistance;

(E) advice that

directs the consumer to remain vigilant by reviewing account statements and

monitoring free credit reports; and

(F) the

approximate date of the security breach;

(6) A data

collector may provide notice of a security breach to a consumer by one or more

of the following methods:

(A) Direct

notice, which may be by one of the following methods:

(i) written

notice mailed to the consumer's residence;

(ii) electronic

notice, for those consumers for whom the data collector has a valid e-mail

address if:

(I) the data

collector's primary method of communication with the consumer is by electronic

means, the electronic notice does not request or contain a hypertext link to a

request that the consumer provide personal information, and the electronic

notice conspicuously warns consumers not to provide personal information in

response to electronic communications regarding security breaches; or

(II) the notice

is consistent with the provisions regarding electronic records and signatures

for notices in 15 U.S.C. § 7001; or

(iii) telephonic

notice, provided that telephonic contact is made directly with each affected

consumer and not through a prerecorded message.

(B)(i)

Substitute notice, if:

(I) the data

collector demonstrates that the cost of providing written or telephonic notice

to affected consumers would exceed $5,000.00;

(II) the class

of affected consumers to be provided written or telephonic notice exceeds

5,000; or

(III) the data

collector does not have sufficient contact information.

(ii) A data

collector shall provide substitute notice by:

(I)

conspicuously posting the notice on the data collector's website if the data

collector maintains one; and

(II) notifying

major statewide and regional media.

(c) In the event

a data collector provides notice to more than 1,000 consumers at one time

pursuant to this section, the data collector shall notify, without unreasonable

delay, all consumer reporting agencies that compile and maintain files on

consumers on a nationwide basis, as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(p), of the

timing, distribution, and content of the notice. This subsection shall not

apply to a person who is licensed or registered under Title 8 by the Department

of Financial Regulation.

(d)(1) Notice of

a security breach pursuant to subsection (b) of this section is not required if

the data collector establishes that misuse of personal information is not

reasonably possible and the data collector provides notice of the determination

that the misuse of the personal information is not reasonably possible pursuant

to the requirements of this subsection (d). If the data collector establishes

that misuse of the personal information is not reasonably possible, the data

collector shall provide notice of its determination that misuse of the personal

information is not reasonably possible and a detailed explanation for said

determination to the Vermont Attorney General or to the Department of Financial

Regulation in the event that the data collector is a person or entity licensed

or registered with the Department under Title 8 or this title. The data

collector may designate its notice and detailed explanation to the Vermont

Attorney General or the Department of Financial Regulation as "trade

secret" if the notice and detailed explanation meet the definition of trade

secret contained in 1 V.S.A. § 317(c)(9).

(2) If a data

collector established that misuse of personal information was not reasonably

possible under subdivision (1) of this subsection (d), and subsequently obtains

facts indicating that misuse of the personal information has occurred or is

occurring, the data collector shall provide notice of the security breach

pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(e) Any waiver

of the provisions of this subchapter is contrary to public policy and is void

and unenforceable.

(f) Except as

provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection (f), a financial institution

that is subject to the following guidances, and any revisions, additions, or

substitutions relating to an interagency guidance shall be exempt from this

section:

(1) The Federal

Interagency Guidance Response Programs for Unauthorized Access to Consumer

Information and Customer Notice, issued on March 7, 2005, by the Board of

Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Office of

Thrift Supervision.

(2) Final

Guidance on Response Programs for Unauthorized Access to Member Information and

Member Notice, issued on April 14, 2005, by the National Credit Union

Administration.

(3) A financial

institution regulated by the Department of Financial Regulation that is subject

to subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection (f) shall notify the Department as

soon as possible after it becomes aware of an incident involving unauthorized

access to or use of personally identifiable information.

(g) Enforcement.

(1) With respect

to all data collectors and other entities subject to this subchapter, other

than a person or entity licensed or registered with the Department of Financial

Regulation under Title 8 or this title, the Attorney General and State's

Attorney shall have sole and full authority to investigate potential violations

of this subchapter and to enforce, prosecute, obtain, and impose remedies for a

violation of this subchapter or any rules or regulations made pursuant to this

chapter as the Attorney General and State's Attorney have under chapter 63 of

this title. The Attorney General may refer the matter to the State's Attorney

in an appropriate case. The Superior Courts shall have jurisdiction over any

enforcement matter brought by the Attorney General or a State's Attorney under

this subsection.

(2) With respect

to a data collector that is a person or entity licensed or registered with the

Department of Financial Regulation under Title 8 or this title, the Department

of Financial Regulation shall have the full authority to investigate potential

violations of this subchapter and to prosecute, obtain, and impose remedies for

a violation of this subchapter or any rules or regulations adopted pursuant to

this subchapter, as the Department has under Title 8 or this title or any other

applicable law or regulation.

(h) Repealed.]  (Added 2005, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff.

Jan. 1, 2007; amended 2011, No. 78 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 2, 2012; 2011,

No. 109 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. May 8, 2012; 2013, No. 29, §§ 10, 11, eff. May

13, 2013; 2013, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 67; 2015, No. 55, § 8.)