Last month, I wrote about the Home Depot credit card data breach and the importance of protecting company data.  But the issue of protecting employee data is far from new.

Back in 2011, one legal publication had this to say about employee data:

Employers collect a substantial amount of personal information about their employees. Companies need to be aware of their obligations under the profusion of data protection laws and regulations that govern the collection, use and transfer of personal information. This is an especially daunting task for companies that have operations subject to the laws of multiple jurisdictions, as requirements vary widely from country to country and even from state to state. …

Companies use employees’ personal information for a variety of purposes—from evaluating applicants during the hiring process to administering payroll and employee benefit plans to managing separation and other post-employment benefits. And as more employers adopt enterprise-level information management systems and outsource certain human resources administration functions, increasing amounts of personal data is being transferred and shared within and between organizations. Maintaining compliance with applicable data privacy laws is a responsibility employers cannot afford to overlook.

I couldn’t say it better myself.  But don’t take my word for it. There are a whole host of experts coming to speak later this month at a Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Summit that I’ve been planning.  People from companies like ESPN, UTC and GE. And respected government officials from the Connecticut Attorney General’s office and the FBI.

The summit is co-sponsored by my law firm, Shipman & Goodwin LLP and the Connecticut chapter of SHRM.  It is scheduled for October 16th at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell, CT. You can register for it here. Don’t miss out.