How to Survive a Data Breach

Data breaches are, for most organizations, a crushing blow to their customers' and staff's confidence in them, to their reputation and brand value, and to the career prospects of senior executives. A data breach may be an even bigger calamity to the individuals whose data has been exposed to Internet criminals, to the press and, possibly, to malicious and ill-wishing acquaintances. Identity theft is a growing problem, and one which is inadequately policed. Individuals whose personal and/or financial data has been breached can find that their credit histories are compromised, and may have to spend years and substantial sums clearing their names. Those organizations that have a tried and tested procedure in place for dealing with data breaches will not only put themselves in a position to obey the current and emerging data breach legislation but, more importantly, will enable themselves to win back some respect from the customers whose data has been breached. This pocket guide provides essential support for organizations tackling this mission. The information is drawn from various regulatory publications, and interviews with security experts, lawyers and software suppliers.