Cybersecurity is a major global topic that has seen many nations enact laws that protect their citizens against cyber-related crimes. The United States has a number of laws and regulations that ensure that its citizens are protected against any harm resulting from cyber-related threats. One of the most impactful legislation enacted in the country is the consumer privacy protection act of 2017. The Act is in place to ensure that personal information of customers is secured.
A vital role of the Act is to help consumers avoid identity theft or online related crimes that would infringe their private lives. The Act also aims to ensure that the citizens are updated on cyber insecurity matters and guided on how to ensure that they are safe against crime. It also requires organizations to be aware of potential security breaches, which would negatively impact their consumers’ private information and prevent users’ misuse of sensitive information (congress.gov, 2018). Generally, the Act seeks to ensure that companies and consumers are all protected against hackers and other unauthorized third parties to protect their privacy rights.
The consumer privacy protection act of 2017 applies to all the institutions which access, store, collect, transmit, or use personally identifiable information for more than 10,000 US citizens over a given period of time. The Act tags along with penalties of not exceeding more than $5 million, if the given coma pies infringe the users’ privacy (congress.gov, 2018). This may include illegally sharing information to their parties about any private data regarding their citizens. When a company is intentionally misusing its users’ data, an additional $5 million fine can also be imposed.
The Act, which was introduced in the Congress house in 10/19/2017, makes it a crime to intentionally and willing to fully conceal the knowledge of a security breach that can result in economic harm to any given individual in the country. The Act authorizes the US Secret Service and the FBI to investigate any related offenses. According to the Act, the department of justice has the right to file a civil action, which can prevent ongoing conduct that damages 100 or more protected computers and prevent the disposition of unlawfully obtained property (congress.gov, 2018). Other offenses that the Act is against including money laundering, unlawful manufacturing, distribution, possession, and advertising of wire electronic or oral communication intercepting devices.
AS a result of the Act, companies in the country have ensured to be keener on their consumers’ private data and any processes involved. This has also helped the American consumers to feel safer when sharing their sensitive information to institutions such as banks since they are conversant with the law that protects them. The authorities have also been keen on ensuring that the country’s companies abide by the law, intending to protect the citizens against any cyber-related crime, which has been on an upscale in the growing years.
Conclusion
As a result of the growing cybercrime rates in the country, Congress enacted the consumer privacy protection act of 2017. The Act protects the consumers against infringement of privacy. It requires companies to protect the users’ personal data and ensure that they do not share personal information with unauthorized third parties. The Act has as result ensured that firms in the country are keener on protecting the consumers’ data from external and unauthorized parties.
