Identity Theft

Earlier this month, Governor Deval Patrick signed St.2007, c.82: Security Freezes and Notification of Data Breaches. Focused more on providing protection for consumers than on punishing offenders, this new law mandates reporting of personal data breaches, provides guidelines for disposal of personal information, and gives the consumer the ability to place a "security freeze" on credit reports. The Governor's site includes links to his podcast describing steps consumers can take to protect their information, a transcript of the podcast and more. For more on identity theft, see Mass. Law About Identity Theft.