FTC, Fordham Law Schools Center on Law and Information Policy, New York Consumer Protection Agencies to Host Free Workshop for Business on April 29

The Federal Trade Commission, the Center on Law and Information Policy of Fordham Law School, the New York State Consumer Protection Board, and the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs will sponsor a free, full-day identity theft workshop in New York City on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. Other sponsors include the New York State Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination, the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York, and the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

This workshop provides a comprehensive approach to help businesses prevent identity theft. Businesses must implement data security practices that deter identity thieves from obtaining personal information to open or access accounts. Businesses also must pay attention to telltale signs – or red flags – suggesting that thieves may be trying to use personal information that they have already acquired.

The workshop is free, and the public may attend the morning session, the afternoon session, or both. The workshop features business people, attorneys, government officials, privacy officers, and other experts, who will provide practical guidance for businesses of all sizes. The morning session, “Protecting Personal Information: Best Practices for Business,” focuses on how businesses can better secure personal information, implement best practices for developing an appropriate data security program, and respond to data breaches and other privacy and security threats.

The afternoon session, “Fighting Fraud with the Red Flags Rule: Practical Guidance for Business,” addresses a new regulation that requires creditors and financial institutions to develop an identity theft prevention program for their covered accounts. At this session, FTC lawyers will provide guidance and answer questions about the scope, structure, and requirements of the Red Flags Rule. Business people and privacy experts will discuss their experiences with regard to creating and implementing identity theft prevention programs.

On-site registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Both sessions take place in Pope Auditorium on the Lincoln Center campus of Fordham University, 113 West 60th Street, New York, NY. The first session starts at 9:30 a.m. The second session begins at 2:00 p.m.

Application for Continuing Legal Education accreditation of this course or program in New York currently is pending. If this application is approved, attendees seeking CLE credits must pay a fee for those credits. The International Association of Privacy Professionals automatically will approve five Continuing Privacy Education credits for anyone in attendance who is a Certified Information Privacy Professional. Advance registration for the workshop and for CLE credits will begin on March 31, 2009. To learn more about the workshops, visit www.ftc.gov/infosecurity.

As part of its business education program, the FTC has information to help businesses develop their own data security plans, including an online tutorial, a booklet, and a series of articles suitable for reprinting in print or electronic newsletters. All are available at www.ftc.gov/infosecurity. More information about data security, including New York State’s Business Privacy Guide, is available on the Consumer Protection Board’s Web site at http://www.consumer.state.ny.us/.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

(FYI data security)