California Updates Data Breach Law to Require More Incident Details

"California has updated its data breach notification law to further define what organizations have to do in case customer data is stolen.

"The bill, SB-24, updates California's current data breach notification law by requiring organizations to include in the breach notification letters the specifics of the security incident and advice on steps customers should take. The bill also includes provisions mandating that if the security breach affected 500 or more people, the organization must submit a copy of the letter to the state attorney general's office. The bill was signed into law Aug. 31 by Gov. Jerry Brown and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2012.

"The breach notification letters must include information such as the type of personal information exposed, a description of what happened, time of the breach, and toll-free telephone numbers and addresses of major credit reporting agencies in California, according to the new law. The original law did not specify what information had to be included in the letters. The new law also requires the letters to be sent "in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay."

eWeek