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Learn about civil and criminal liability issues in hotel data breaches, including recent incidents, potential liabilities, and steps to prevent and respond to breaches effectively.
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Responding to a Data Breach:Issues of Civil and Criminal Liability Michael R. Sklaire Greenberg Traurig April 24, 2010
Hotel Data Breaches • “Cybercriminals Consider Hotels Easy Target,” USA Today, March 2, 2010 • “Hotel Hackers Attack Westin Bonaventure,” LA Times, March 7, 2010 • “Wyndham Suffers Another Data Breach,” SC Magazine, March 9, 2010 • “Data Breaches Are Heaviest At Hotels,” Wall Street Journal, March 18, 2010
Recent Incidents • Radisson Hotel & Resorts • August 2009 • Breached from November 2008 – May 2009 • Wyndham Hotel and Resorts • August 2009 (again in March 2010) • Breached from March 29 through May 10, 2009 • Westin Bonaventure • March 2010 • April 2009 through December 2009
Why Hotels? • 38% of All Data Breaches Suffered At Hotels • Twice as Many as in Financial Services Industry • Average 156 days to discover breach • Why? • that’s where the credit cards are • POS system easier to access • Employee Internet access
Potential Liability • Credit Card Companies • Merchant Agreement • Civil Liability • Customer Privacy • Issuer lawsuit • State Attorney General Actions • FTC • Criminal Liability
Credit Card Companies • Issue Fines to Merchants for Failure to Follow PCI Protocol • Contractual Relationship • Require Forensic Investigation • Fines start at $50,000 • Visa Guidelines
Civil Liability • Customer Privacy Issues • Class Action Lawsuit • TJ Maxx • Breach of Contract • Gross Negligence
State Attorneys General • State Privacy Requirements • California Recommended Practices • http://www.privacy.ca.gov/res/docs/pdf/COPP_Breach_Reco_Practices_6-09.pdf • Massachusetts Minimum Data Protection and Safeguard Standards • March 1, 2010 • All businesses possessing non-public personal information • Fines and Litigation
Criminal Liability • Inside Job • Company may be held liable for acts of employees • Scope of Employment • Intent to benefit company • Conduct Thorough Investigation • Get Secret Service/FBI on board early
How to Respond to a Data Breach • Designate coordinator - main contact with HR, legal, IT, communications • Contain and limit exposure - stop intrusion • Preserve data • Forensic investigation • preliminary findings • final report
Responding to Data Breach • Notify management • Interviews and email review • Privilege issues- encourage counsel involvement • current employees • former employees • any third party/contract employees with access? • Prepare written report • Inventory System • Compliance holes? • Encryption issues?
Responding to Data Breach • Contact law enforcement • FBI/Secret Service • Victim • Contact all credit card companies • Visa requires full report within two weeks • call fraud coordinators at Visa, MC, Discover, AMEX • provide list of all credit cards used during time period • Insurance coverage? • Contracts with Third Parties affected
Responding to Data Breach • Review State notification laws re what type of notice needed • Reasonable Time Period = 10 business days • 45 days for Ohio and Florida • Delay for Law Enforcement • Prepare Notice to customers • offer to pay for free credit report? • website or toll free number? • discuss steps taken to ensure future privacy
Responding to Data Breach • Public Relations plan • Press Release if necessary • Who speaks for company • 800 number for inquiries • Prepare for leaks prior to actual notice
Responding to Data Breach • Prepare Notice to employees • Update/Revise privacy and compliance program if necessary • Train employees
Steps to Prevent Breach • Passwords • Dedicated System • PCI Compliance Program • Rapid Response Team • Training • Review Contracts with Computer Vendors • Who is going to be liable • Indemnification
Michael R. SklaireGreenberg Traurig LLP1750 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 1200McLean, VA 22102Tel 703.749.1308Fax 703.714.8308 sklairem@gtlaw.com