The deadline for compliance to the new Massachusetts Data Privacy legislation has been extended AGAIN to January 1, 2010. The original deadline was January 1, 2009. Last November, the deadline was extended to May 1, 2009, and just recently the deadline was extended again to January 1, 2010: Read the press release.
The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs reports that there is a strong need for the law, but they want to give businesses more time to comply. The office reports that since November 2007, there have been over 450 reported cases of stolen or lost personal information that have affected nearly 700,000 Massachusetts residents. The regulations are the first of their kind in the country, and had originally been scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2009. A sharp change in the business climate, along with an increased understanding of the actions needed to be compliant led to the change in the date.
There are no specific penalties published so far for non compliance, but the door is opened for legal action by the state's attorney general. Read the Network World article for more information.
We are advising our clients that if they are running an up to date computer infrastructure they are probably already in compliance for most items, and regardless of what the State does, these are good business practices to follow. In many cases only a few relatively small and inexpensive changes will needed for compliance. It's a bit frustrating that the news keeps changing from the State government, but protecting your critical business information makes business sense right now. What would you do if your laptop were lost or stolen and someone had access to all your information? Encrypt your portable devices NOW!
Encryption:
Most businesses are already operating with an up to date firewall, antivirus software and antispyware software to protect their network and data. One of the areas we see where the most change is needed is for the application of encryption. The regulation calls for encryption of data on portable devices such as laptops, and encryption of the transmission of sensitive data (plain email is NOT allowed, even for password protected files). Send us an email if you would like suggestions for how to implement encryption or if you would like a demo of a secure file transfer or a trial account for email encryption.
Data Protection Phone Seminar
If you missed the last phone seminar, we will be doing it again on Thursday March 5 at 12:30pm. The seminar runs for 30 minutes and it's free. Send us an email if you want to join us.
Reminder - Daylight Savings starts on March 8!
Two years ago, the start and end dates for Daylight Saving Time (DST) were changed, which caused a lot of headaches for computers. Daylight savings time now starts several weeks earlier than it did in years prior to 2007. If you are up to date with all your Microsoft patches, you should be all set, but just in case, check the Microsoft Web Site for more information.
On Monday (March 9), pay special attention to any applications that involve calculations based on time, and double check all calendar entries. Also, it's a good idea to print out your calendar on Friday, just in case. Please also be sure that any handheld devices you use are also up to date.
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Clocks Change March 8th!
Sincerely,
Team Ekaru
Introductory Technology Assessment Over 400 local small businesses have chosen Ekaru to manage their computers and networks. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation to get started. We'll visit your office, review your network, and make recommendations. Call us at 978-692-4200 or email us to schedule a no-obligation assessment. If you know someone who could benefit from this offer, simply forward this email to them. Thank You!
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