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CUNA hails introduction of Data Security Act of 2015

WASHINGTON, DC (April 15, 2015) — Senators Tom Carper and Roy Blunt today introduced the Data Security Act of 2015, legislation strongly supported by CUNA which would establish a strong and uniform national data security and breach notification standards for electronic data and preempt any related state laws in order to provide the Federal Trade Commission with authority to enforce such standards for entities covered under the Act.

“This much needed legislation will protect the sensitive financial information of American people by establishing a national standard for data security, protection and consumer notification,” said Jim Nussle, President and CEO of CUNA. “My thanks to Senators Carper and Blunt for their bold leadership on the important issue of data breaches. This commonsense legislation ensures that those who accept cards as payment are held to the same standard as those who issue cards for payment. I strongly urge the Senate to move forward with this bill for the safety and security of all consumers.”

CUNA has repeatedly called for strong national data protection and consumer notification standards that align with those of financial institutions under Gramm-Leach-Bliley; inconsistent state laws and regulations be preempted in favor of strong Federal data protection and notification standards; and in the event of a breach, the public should be informed where it occurred as soon as reasonably possible to allow consumers to protect themselves from fraud.

Studies have found that in 2014, over 1,500 data security breaches occurred which exposed over 1 billion data records. CUNA has been actively engaged on the issue of merchant data breaches for over a year and a half including numerous meetings and correspondence with lawmakers and staff, urging the White House to establish a Cybersecurity Council, conducting quantitative analysis of the costs of data breaches on credit unions at Target and Home Depot which found that the two merchant breaches cost credit unions and their members at least $90 million, and launching a website (www.stopthedatabreaches.com) that allows consumers to take action and urge Congress to step in and hold merchants accountable for data violations.

About CUNA

With its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, Credit Union National Association (CUNA) serves America’s credit unions, which are owned by more than 100 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives providing affordable financial services to people from all walks of life. For more information about CUNA, visit www.cuna.org or follow @CUNA on Twitter. For more information about credit unions, visit www.aSmarterChoice.org and follow @asmarterchoice on Twitter. Visit the CUNA Press Room for a full listing of media mentions, press releases and resources to stay informed on current events within the credit union industry.


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