How Utah’s Safe Harbor Law Affects Business Cybersecurity

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(Newswire.net — May 13, 2021) —

There have been important developments this year for the protection of cybersecurity throughout the US, and the Utah Safe Harbor Law is one of them.

Following the example of other states with similar regulations, this law was put in place in an attempt to incentivize businesses to follow best practices in order to protect their private data. In order to do so, they need to use industry-recognized cybersecurity frameworks like the Center for Internet Security’s (CIS) Critical Security Controls and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) framework.

What Is the Safe Harbor Law?

Utah’s Safe Harbor Law is designed to protect businesses affected by a data breach. All business organizations need to adhere to its data privacy standards to ensure data is sufficiently safeguarded. In Utah, this means specifically that businesses need to create, comply with, and maintain a cybersecurity program as a defense against data breach. 

How Does It Affect Utah Businesses and Consumers?

No business in Utah is safe from a cybersecurity breach. The Safe Harbor Law enables entities that comply with a written cybersecurity program to affirmative defense to litigation as the result of a data breach. This also helps to encourage them to protect the personal information of consumers. It’s essential for businesses to understand the type of data they collect, the law, and how to ensure this data is secure.

What Do Businesses Need to Do to Be Compliant?

Businesses need to protect their data and that of their customers by creating a program that’s eligible according to certain criteria. The program must:

-Provide confidentiality,

-Protect personal information,

-And anticipate any threats and hazards.

The program also must be compliant with all federal laws relating to data protection and cybersecurity in specific industries/when handling specific information, such as HIPAA and GLBA. It should model a recognized framework such as NIST 800-171 or 800-53, ISO 27000, PCI DSS. The program created also needs to be suitable for the size and type of business and its activities and operations. It has to be appropriate for the type of data it collects and its available resources and tools.

The business entity is also responsible for responding in the appropriate way to a cybersecurity threat. This involves responding within a reasonable amount of time and taking considerable efforts to protect personal data.

How Can a Utah IT Company Help?

A Utah IT company can help your business protect itself from cybersecurity threats and ensure it’s compliant with the Utah Safe Harbor Law. Many businesses are choosing to outsource their cybersecurity to experts in light of recent increases in cyber attacks, and seeking professional aid in setting up your security framework is recommended by many experts.

Suffering a data breach can have a detrimental effect on your productivity and reputation, so it’s essential to ensure you have all the necessary safety measures in place and are up to date with state and federal regulations.