Senator to introduce data breach bill

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), the ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee, will soon introduce a data breach notification bill that closely resembles a proposal President Obama called for during a Monday speech.

“How many more consumers will be affected before something is done?” asked Nelson, according to multiple reports. “Now is the time Congress must act.”

{mosads}A series of major breaches at retailers like Home Depot, Staples and Target has raised awareness of the issue.

The bill would require breached companies to notify consumers that their information had been exposed within 30 days. Companies would also have to report to the government on security breaches “of a certain magnitude.”

Finally, the measure would direct the Federal Trade Commission to create nationwide data security standards.

The White House has spent the week rolling out a series of cybersecurity legislative proposals, including offerings that would bolster student data privacy, heighten penalties for certain cybercrimes and facilitate cyber threat information sharing between the government and private sector.

The administration said Tuesday it believes it has significant support on Capitol Hill for its efforts and is working to find partners to get these bills introduced.

Nelson’s bill is reportedly in the final drafting stages.