The Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Developments in privacy law and writings of a Canadian privacy lawyer, containing information related to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (aka PIPEDA) and other Canadian and international laws.

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The author of this blog, David T.S. Fraser, is a Canadian privacy lawyer who practices with the firm of McInnes Cooper. He is the author of the Physicians' Privacy Manual. He has a national and international practice advising corporations and individuals on matters related to Canadian privacy laws.

For full contact information and a brief bio, please see David's profile.

Please note that I am only able to provide legal advice to clients. I am not able to provide free legal advice. Any unsolicited information sent to David Fraser cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

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The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to his employer or clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.

This web site is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and David T.S. Fraser. If you are seeking specific advice related to Canadian privacy law or PIPEDA, contact the author, David T.S. Fraser.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Cardsystems settles with the FTC 

The US Federal Trade Commission has settled its complaint against CardSystems after a breach at the company comproised the personal information for forty million credit and debit card users. The company had, against its agreement with the card-issuers, kept information related to transactions it was processing and failed to secure it adequately.

Somewhat oddly, the LA Times article says that the FTC could not levy any civil damages or penalties, as it did with ChoicePoint, without mentioning why.

CardSystems Settles Charges

From Associated Press

February 24 2006

WASHINGTON — A data breach that left 40 million customer accounts vulnerable to hackers will lead to tighter security measures to protect millions of credit and debit card users, Federal Trade Commission officials said Thursday.

CardSystems Solutions Inc. has settled charges that the company broke the law by failing to ensure adequate safeguards for sensitive customer information. The breach resulted in millions of dollars in fraudulent purchases, the commission said.

The settlement calls for better safeguards to protect consumer data.

The FTC could not seek civil penalties under the law it accused CardSystems of violating.

Atlanta-based CardSystems processed credit card and other payments for banks and merchants. Last summer, it was disclosed that tens of millions of mostly MasterCard and Visa accounts were exposed to possible fraud after a hacker broke into the company's computer system.

"CardSystems kept information it had no reason to keep and then stored it in a way that put consumers' financial information at risk," FTC Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras said.

CardSystems' assets have since been bought by San Francisco-based Pay by Touch. The settlement requires Pay by Touch to implement a comprehensive security program and obtain independent audits every other year for 20 years.

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