Keeping up with frequently changing state, federal, and international data breach laws is difficult. The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) is launching a tool called the IAPP-RADAR Incident Response Center to help its members stay abreast of these laws and ensure compliance. The tool, which is free to members, is powered by RADAR, Inc., an incident response management and decision-support solution provider.

“If you are a company on the internet and have customers in 15 states and three countries,” knowing your responsibilities in the event of a data breach can be confusing, said Sam Pfeifle, IAPP’s publications director. The Incident Response Center gives members access to all the regulations in an easily searchable format, and it updates them as laws are changed or added.

The tool keeps members informed about breach-notification laws and their scope, risk-assessment provisions, notification requirements, and penalties. It includes a list of jurisdictions with proposed legislation and a watch list that tracks recently passed legislation. It also provides interactive maps that give an overview of key elements of breach-notification laws, such as which jurisdictions regulate both paper and electronic personal information and which require notice to the state attorney general.

“Data breach notification is a bread-and-butter topic” for IAPP members, who advise their organizations on the proper way to use personal information, Pfeifle said. “It’s one of the core jobs members have to accomplish.” The response center will make it easier and more manageable.

“Many rules and regulations surround data breach response,” Pfeifle said, and most of them involve notification requirements. The new tool helps companies understand what they need to communicate and when they need to notify customers. “It cuts down the research time,” he said.

Pfeifle noted a trend in vendors creating tech solutions to privacy problems. “Before, you had to do this all yourself,” he said. Some companies rely on outside counsel to manage this process, he noted.

While the Incident Response Center makes IAPP members’ jobs easier and saves time, it also gives them a boost.

“Our mission is to promote and support privacy professionals around the globe,” Pfeifle said. “This tool makes members more efficient and more valuable to their organizations.”

The tool will debut at the IAPP Global Privacy Summit, taking place April 17-20 in Washington, DC.

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