Blumenthal, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he plans to introduce cybersecurity legislation that would strengthen laws regarding data breaches, including consumer notification requirements and information security measures to reduce the incidents of data breaches.
As part of this effort, Blumenthal sponsored a roundtable discussions with data breach experts, consumer groups, and community leaders at the University of Connecticut’s Information Technology Center last week. Among those in attendance were members of the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG), Yale computer science professor Mike Fischer, and members of the Connecticut Citizens Action Group.
According to Blumenthal, 23 million cases of data breaches involving personally identifiable information have been reported so far this year.
“To both prevent and remedy breaches, systems must be better protected, and when breaches do occur, consumer notification must be mandated at the federal level….The staggering increase of data breaches in the past year compromising personal and financial information warrants a swift and comprehensive federal response to hold companies accountable. As technology changes, so must our laws and regulations”, Blumenthal commented in announcing the legislative proposal.
Blumenthal’s proposal comes as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is trying to consolidate Democratic efforts at drafting comprehensive cybersecurity legislation.