In what is believed to be the largest security breach to date, the Associated Press reported that Russian hackers have stolen 1.2 billion user names and passwords. According to the AP, Milwaukee security firm, Hold Security, learned of the breach, but has yet to provide details about the series of website hackings believed to have affected 420,000 websites. Citing nondisclosure agreements, Hold Security has not named the hacked websites.

A concern raised by some is the “breach fatigue” that may be created by the continuing stream of news reports about breaches large and small, the notification letters that follow, and the repeated warnings and recommendations to individuals and businesses about addressing data security. This “condition” may be real, but it is a condition individuals and business have to overcome as “big data” and the “internet of things” (IoT) becomes more a part of our lives, creating value in data that criminals want to steal.

A frequent refrain from some, including many small businesses, is that incidents like these will not happen to them. But, as the L.A. Times reports, according to the National Small Business Assn., 44% of survey respondents had been victims of at least one cyberattack. For well over a decade, identity theft continues to be the top crime reported to the FTC. For businesses, the risk is more than whether a breach will happen and how to respond, it is the effects the breach can have on its reputation, the enforcement that increasingly follows these incidents at the federal and state level, and increased litigation including class actions. Late last month, for instance, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office reported a $150,000 settlement with a local hospital based on allegations of failing to properly safeguard patient data and report the incident.

For many businesses, there are a number of “best practices” that are relatively easy to implement and can have a significant impact on reducing the risks of a data breach. Many say, yes, but where do we start. Logically, the starting point is gaining an understanding of the businesses’ data privacy and security risks – doing a risk and vulnerability assessment. There are a number of resources available to assist in designing and carrying out an assessment. For example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently issued a draft update of its primary guide to assessing security and privacy controls. While the work NIST does, including this guide, is designed for federal information systems and networks, it is an excellent and comprehensive source for businesses to understand steps they too can take to safeguard their systems and data.

The practical starting point, however, is getting management, C-suite support. Data privacy and security is an enterprise-wide risk which requires an enterprise-wide solution. Like many conditions, left untreated, “breach fatigue” can have significant consequences.

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Photo of Joseph J. Lazzarotti Joseph J. Lazzarotti

Joseph J. Lazzarotti is a principal in the Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He founded and currently co-leads the firm’s Privacy, Data and Cybersecurity practice group, edits the firm’s Privacy Blog, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)…

Joseph J. Lazzarotti is a principal in the Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He founded and currently co-leads the firm’s Privacy, Data and Cybersecurity practice group, edits the firm’s Privacy Blog, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) with the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Trained as an employee benefits lawyer, focused on compliance, Joe also is a member of the firm’s Employee Benefits practice group.

In short, his practice focuses on the matrix of laws governing the privacy, security, and management of data, as well as the impact and regulation of social media. He also counsels companies on compliance, fiduciary, taxation, and administrative matters with respect to employee benefit plans.

Privacy and cybersecurity experience – Joe counsels multinational, national and regional companies in all industries on the broad array of laws, regulations, best practices, and preventive safeguards. The following are examples of areas of focus in his practice:

  • Advising health care providers, business associates, and group health plan sponsors concerning HIPAA/HITECH compliance, including risk assessments, policies and procedures, incident response plan development, vendor assessment and management programs, and training.
  • Coached hundreds of companies through the investigation, remediation, notification, and overall response to data breaches of all kinds – PHI, PII, payment card, etc.
  • Helping organizations address questions about the application, implementation, and overall compliance with European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and, in particular, its implications in the U.S., together with preparing for the California Consumer Privacy Act.
  • Working with organizations to develop and implement video, audio, and data-driven monitoring and surveillance programs. For instance, in the transportation and related industries, Joe has worked with numerous clients on fleet management programs involving the use of telematics, dash-cams, event data recorders (EDR), and related technologies. He also has advised many clients in the use of biometrics including with regard to consent, data security, and retention issues under BIPA and other laws.
  • Assisting clients with growing state data security mandates to safeguard personal information, including steering clients through detailed risk assessments and converting those assessments into practical “best practice” risk management solutions, including written information security programs (WISPs). Related work includes compliance advice concerning FTC Act, Regulation S-P, GLBA, and New York Reg. 500.
  • Advising clients about best practices for electronic communications, including in social media, as well as when communicating under a “bring your own device” (BYOD) or “company owned personally enabled device” (COPE) environment.
  • Conducting various levels of privacy and data security training for executives and employees
  • Supports organizations through mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations with regard to the handling of employee and customer data, and the safeguarding of that data during the transaction.
  • Representing organizations in matters involving inquiries into privacy and data security compliance before federal and state agencies including the HHS Office of Civil Rights, Federal Trade Commission, and various state Attorneys General.

Benefits counseling experience – Joe’s work in the benefits counseling area covers many areas of employee benefits law. Below are some examples of that work:

  • As part of the Firm’s Health Care Reform Team, he advises employers and plan sponsors regarding the establishment, administration and operation of fully insured and self-funded health and welfare plans to comply with ERISA, IRC, ACA/PPACA, HIPAA, COBRA, ADA, GINA, and other related laws.
  • Guiding clients through the selection of plan service providers, along with negotiating service agreements with vendors to address plan compliance and operations, while leveraging data security experience to ensure plan data is safeguarded.
  • Counsels plan sponsors on day-to-day compliance and administrative issues affecting plans.
  • Assists in the design and drafting of benefit plan documents, including severance and fringe benefit plans.
  • Advises plan sponsors concerning employee benefit plan operation, administration and correcting errors in operation.

Joe speaks and writes regularly on current employee benefits and data privacy and cybersecurity topics and his work has been published in leading business and legal journals and media outlets, such as The Washington Post, Inside Counsel, Bloomberg, The National Law Journal, Financial Times, Business Insurance, HR Magazine and NPR, as well as the ABA Journal, The American Lawyer, Law360, Bender’s Labor and Employment Bulletin, the Australian Privacy Law Bulletin and the Privacy, and Data Security Law Journal.

Joe served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Laura Denvir Stith on the Missouri Court of Appeals.