Few events can damage a company’s reputation and business more than a compromise of personal, confidential information of its customers or employees. Even before factoring in the impact on business partner and regulatory relationships, a data breach can be very costly if not handled properly.

Who is at risk?

• Any entity that holds social security numbers, bank information, credit card numbers, or other sensitive personal information
• Retailers and service providers are a growing target among “amateur” criminals who are using more sophisticated, yet inexpensive methods to gain access to information.

If you think you have experienced a data breach

The Federal Trade Commission advises companies to notify law enforcement, companies, and individuals that could be negatively affected in the event of a breach of sensitive consumer data.

Data breach notification laws and regulations vary widely by industry, state and type of breach. Intersections Inc., publishes a Data Breach Regulations Guide to help companies better understand what states have data breach notification laws and what those laws require.