Mass. regulations aimed at consumer protection

BOSTON – The Mass. Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation last week filed revised identity theft regulations aimed at preserving the privacy of consumers by increasing the level of security on personal information held by businesses and other entities.
The regulations will take effect Jan. 1, 2010, and mandate that personal information – a combination of a name along with a Social Security number, bank account number or credit card number – be encrypted when stored on portable devices or transmitted wirelessly and on public networks. Encryption of personal information on portable devices carrying identity data such laptops, PDAs and flash drives must also be completed by Jan. 1, 2010.
The office said that there have been over 450 reported cases of stolen or lost personal information that have affected nearly 700,000 Massachusetts residents since November 2007. &#8226