The Federal Communications Commission is considering implementing stricter rules that would require telecom operators to report data breaches faster to customers and law enforcement.
Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has drafted a document outlining new proposals to strengthen the FCC’s powers to disclose data breaches and breaches of “customer-proprietary network information” to customers and federal agencies. The updated rules, released this week, will bring the FCC into line with other federal and state data breach laws, she said.
Currently, companies have to wait seven business days before disclosing data breaches to customers. Under the new plan, the waiting period will be eliminated entirely so that people can be notified more quickly.
These rules don’t just apply in the case of malicious data breaches. If the new proposal is passed, operators will also have to follow the same “unintentional breach” disclosure procedures in the event of human error. Finally, the FCC wants telecommunications companies to report these violations to the FBI and Secret Service as well.
“Current law already requires telecom operators to protect the privacy and security of sensitive customer information. But these rules need to be updated to fully reflect the changing nature of data breaches and the real-time threat they pose to affected consumers,” Chairman Rosenworcel said in a statement. said in a statement [PDF].
“Customers should be protected from the increased frequency, complexity and scale of these data breaches, and the consequences that can last for years after personal information is exposed. I look forward to my colleagues and me to revisit our data breach reporting rules , to better protect consumers, improve security, and reduce the impact of future breaches.”
Last year, T-mobile US comfirmed arrive register “Unauthorized access to certain data has occurred”. Some 100 million customers are believed to have been affected by criminals who sold information such as people’s names, addresses, Social Security numbers and IMEI numbers for 6 bitcoins (worth about $280,000) on the dark web.
Mint Mobile was also hit by a data breach last year. Thieves stole account information and transferred people’s phone numbers to different carriers. Other sensitive data such as customer names, email addresses and passwords may also be accessed. ®
