Lawmaker has introduced legislation with Sen. Blumenthal to help protect consumers’ personal and financial information from hackers

Washington (September 08, 2014) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, released the following statement after Home Depot today confirmed the company has been impacted by a data breach affecting customers possibly as far back as April 2014. 

“While its customers are working on home improvement, Home Depot needs to focus its attention on data security improvement. I have serious concerns about possible identity theft and other fraud that could be caused by the release of sensitive customer information. Home Depot needs to provide immediate explanation of what the company is doing to fix the security weaknesses exploited by criminals and assist consumers in Massachusetts and throughout the country whose data may have been exposed. 

“This isn’t the first company to disclose a massive data breach, and it probably won’t be the last. The Personal Data Protection and Breach Accountability Act will help address the escalating threats to data security plaguing retailers and consumers, and I look forward to working with Senator Blumenthal and my colleagues to pass this urgently-needed legislation.”

In February, Senators Markey and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Personal Data Protection and Breach Accountability Act, legislation that would help protect consumers’ personal and financial information from hackers by taking a multi-pronged approach to combating the risks associated with data breaches: deterring preventable breaches, minimizing consumer harm, and promoting technical information-sharing. 

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