Have you looked at the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act recently ?
Never heard of FACTA ? It was an extension to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and is intended to help consumers fight the growing crime of identity theft. It also adds provisions covering privacy, accuracy, and information sharing. It went into effect in 2003 and most businesses probably overlooked it. Now, it's been amended and new procedures go into effect on Nov 1, 2008 !
We recommend that all of our clients look at the FACTA synopsis at the PrivacyRights website. We think you'll be surprised to see that provisions of the law extend to "regular businesses" like landlords, auto dealers, attorneys, employers, and "entities that maintain information ... as part of their role as service providers to other organizations covered by the rule."
And, in its efforts to help provide a "level playing field", FACTA even encourages organizations (like landlords and employers) who are not subject to the USA PATRIOT Act to adopt similar data handling practices.
Whatever type of business or professional practice you have, if you regularly handle consumer information, there are now federal standards that apply to you. For information about our secure data services, visit the FAQ Knowledgebase at Atlantic Webs.
