Push for Increased Data Security Continues

on 2:04 PM

With several high-profile data breaches hitting just in the month of August while Congress was in recess, CUNA and the state leagues are continuing their push for Capitol Hill lawmakers to enact meaningful data security legislation.

Stopping the data breaches is the subject of CUNA’s latest Member Activation Program (MAP) campaign launched in August to activate credit union members to call on their members of Congress to Act.

Specifically, CUNA and the state leagues are calling for Congress to:

  • Treat data privacy as a national security issue, as there have been more than 10,000 data breached in the U.S. since 2005, compromising nearly 12 billion consumer records. Many of these breaches are being perpetrated by foreign governments, domestic organized crime syndicates and rogue international actors using the data to fund illicit activities;
  • Fix the weak links in the system, meaning requiring all entities that hold and use consumer data be subject to strong federal data security requirements; and
  • Set a strong federal standard that preempts state laws,removing the current patchwork of various state laws, regulations and requirements that provide uneven protection and require numerous compliance resources.

CUNA has written to leadership of multiple House and Senate Committees, outlining the above principles. CUNA Chief Advocacy Officer Ryan Donovan also contacted all 535 Congressional offices in April emphasizing the economic and national security implications.

Lance Noggle, CUNA senior director of advocacy outlined why credit unions are leading the call for data security in a Credit Union Times op-ed, and has also brought the issue up with other agencies, including NCUA and the Federal Trade Commission.

The topic will be a featured discussion point with the Vermont Congressional delegation during AVCU's DC Hike-the-Hill on October 22nd

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