Madison, WI

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Federal Push Back of Red Flags Rule Compliance Date Affords Businesses Much Needed Time to Develop Identity Theft Prevention Plans

October 30, 2008, Madison, WI: Barring last week's reprieve by the Federal Trade Commission, more than 10 million small organizations nationwide would have been required to comply with the Red Flags Rule on November 1. The FTC announced that compliance will be delayed six months until May 1, 2009 because many businesses were not only unaware of the compliance date, but unaware of the Red Flags Rule. Dr. Joseph Campana, a privacy and information security consultant who focuses on helping small enterprises says "small businesses are generally uninformed when it comes to today's legal and ethical requirements to protect sensitive information. I wrote a do-it-yourself guide for small businesses to raise their awareness and show them how to come into compliance quickly and inexpensively"

Privacy MakeOver, the first guide to help small businesses comply with state and federal laws including the Red Flags Rule, simplifies privacy best practices into four steps: (1) assessing risks, (2) adapting documentation, (3) educating employees and (4) periodic review to attain safe harbor--a defensive legal concept to help protect the business from liability and penalties should information be compromised.

Thousands of dollars worth of compliance documentation, which can be easily adapted to any small business, is included in Privacy Makeover: The Essential Guide to Best Practices (ISBN 0-9820573-0-X, Trade Paperback, 302 pp, 5½ x 8½, $45.00). The Privacy Makeover Companion Web site provides readers with additional resources and documents (www.privacymakeover.com.) including documentation to help small businesses comply with the Red Flags Rule.

Frank W. Abagnale, legendary secure document consultant, author and subject of the movie Catch Me if You Can, says "This is an excellent book full of great information and practices, especially for small businesses that are unfamiliar with the privacy laws" Business author and Consultant to CEOs, Patrick Below, calls Privacy MakeOver, "a practical and highly readable book for business owners and professionals dealing with the rapidly emerging threat of identity theft and privacy"

Joe Campana

Author

J. Campana and Associates LLC

Madison, WI

608-241-3500

First Url: Ask Dr. Privacy

Second Url: J. Campana & Associates