From: FCW
By Adam Mazmanian
As Congress continues its probes into high-profile and widespread data breaches at retailers Target and Neiman Marcus, federal law enforcement officials are stepping up their calls for reporting standards that require businesses to notify customers and law enforcement when hackers steal or compromise personal information.
Merchants currently are under no obligation to report data breaches to federal law enforcement, and state rules vary widely. At a March 5 hearing of the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, senior law enforcement officials said that reporting standards could aid investigators and consumers alike.
“While there is no single solution to prevent data breaches of U.S. customer information, legislative action could help to improve the nation’s cybersecurity, reduce regulatory costs on U.S. companies, and strengthen law enforcement’s ability to conduct effective investigations,” said William Noonan, who heads cyber investigations for the Secret Service.
Responsibility for federal investigations of data breaches is divided among government agencies, with the Secret Service taking the lead on casework, and other components of the Department of Homeland Security, including the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, which helps analyze threat information for the Secret Service and helps victims secure their networks.
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