In brief Financial institutions, financial services providers and companies otherwise subject to the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance laws of New York State should note that on November 1, 2024, the amendments to the New York Department of Financial Services’ (“NYDFS'”) cybersecurity regulations took effect. “Covered entities” under the amendments still include any licensed financial institution company operating in New York regardless of whether it is already regulated by other government agencies. Additionally, the amendments…
In brief In a landmark decision on July 18, 2024, Judge Paul Englemayer of the Southern District of New York dismissed most charges in the SEC’s enforcement action against SolarWinds and its CISO, Timothy Brown. The court ruled that cybersecurity controls are not part of a company’s “system of internal accounting controls” under Section 13(b)(2)(B)(iii) of the Exchange Act, dismissing these claims. However, the court upheld charges that SolarWinds and Brown misled investors with public…
On December 21, 2023 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued updates to its Data Breach Notification Rule, which applies to telecommunications carriers, as well as to voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and telecommunications relay service (TRS) providers. The updated Data Breach Notification Rule marks the most significant changes to the Rule since its adoption 16 years ago and modernizes the FCC requirements by bringing them more closely in line with other breach reporting obligations. The…
This past year brought the rapid rise of ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms, accompanied by several noteworthy legal and regulatory developments. 2024 promises to continue with technology advances, making it a pivotal year for businesses navigating global data privacy and cybersecurity risks. Our Baker McKenzie Top 10 predictions for 2024 follow. As is evident, 2024 will be a critical year for global data privacy and cybersecurity. We welcome your thoughts and predictions. Please feel…
Effective Nov. 1, the New York State Department of Financial Services has strengthened cybersecurity requirements for financial services companies. All companies should take account of these amendments, as these NYDFS regulations are increasingly referenced as key benchmarks for cybersecurity compliance programs. New York’s Department of Financial Services finalized significant amendments to the cybersecurity requirements for financial services companies in Part 500 of Title 23 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the…
In a shocking show of gumption, a ransomware gang has reportedly not only hacked a US public company’s (MeridianLink) IT systems, but also filed a complaint on the SEC’s Tips, Complaints, and Referrals page, regarding Meridian Link’s claimed failure to disclose the incident in an 8-K in violation of the SEC’s new cybersecurity rules. Even though public companies are not yet required to comply with the new cybersecurity disclosure rules (8-K requirement goes effective on…
Effective November 1, 2023, New York State Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) Strengthens Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services Companies. All companies should take account of these amendments, as these DFS regulations are increasingly referenced as key benchmarks for cybersecurity compliance programs. New York State’s Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) finalized significant amendments to 23 CRR-NY 500 NY-CRR, “Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services Companies” (“Part 500”). This follows two rounds of proposed amendments and public comment…
In many ways, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) October 30, 2023 enforcement action against software company SolarWinds Corporation (“SolarWinds”) and its chief information security officer (“CISO”) is a typical securities case. The first four counts involve alleged material misstatements by the public company related to widely reported operational turmoil that allegedly materially impacted the company. But aspects of the case may signal a change in how the SEC looks at cyber incidents, including internal…
On October 30, 2023, President Biden issued a 63-page Executive Order to define the trajectory of artificial intelligence adoption, governance and usage within the United States government. The Executive Order outlines eight guiding principles and priorities for US federal agencies to adhere to as they adopt, govern and use AI. While safety and security are predictably high on the list, so too is a desire to make America a leader in the AI industry including…
In brief On July 26, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) approved the final rules for Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance, and Incident Disclosure (“Final Rules”). As previously reported, the SEC first proposed amendments to its rules on disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance, and incident reporting by public companies on March 9, 2022 (“Proposed Rules”). Similar to the Proposed Rules, the Final Rules, broadly speaking, require (i) issuers to make disclosures…