What to do in case of a data breach?

The Federal Trade Commision just released Guidelines on how to act in case of a data breach. These are called Data Breach Response: A Guide for Business and also include a video and a business blog.

These Guidelines state the most imprtant steps to be taken in order to protect customer information:

• securing physical areas
• removal of improperly posted information from the web
• take service providers into account
• providing breach notification
• information about whom to contact in case of a data breach eg. law enforcement, affected businesses, and individuals

Furthermore, a model data breach notification letter is also included so that companies get to know the best way to alert concerned parties about an attack.