http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/c_breachshield/C21 en mbush@affiniongroup.com Copyright 2012 2012-01-24T14:29:04-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_to_host_webcast_panel_of_data_breach_experts/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_to_host_webcast_panel_of_data_breach_experts/#When:11:00:01Z Session to examine breach response best practices and the cost to corporations of being unprepared NORWALK, Conn., May 14, 2009 - Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection and data breach resolution services, today announced that it will co-host a thought leadership panel with CSO magazine focused on the legal, public relations and privacy issues associated with data breaches.  This live Webcast on Thursday, May 28th, 2009, 2:00 pm EDT will bring together legal, privacy and public relations experts to discuss the devastating effects of data breaches on corporations, including loss of business, reputational damage and legal issues. The panel will also focus on how companies can better prepare for a breach incident in order to mitigate damages. To register for the complimentary webcast, visit www.csoonline.com/webinar/pressrelease The panel will address: How a data breach can quickly impact a business and its customers, partners, employees and prospects Best practices for managing a data breach How a preemptive data breach response plan can mitigate reputational damage, legal ramifications and loss of business Recommendations, tips, lessons-learned, and examples of the key elements that constitute an effective data breach plan Bob Bragdon, Publisher of CSO magazine will moderate the panel of experts, composed of the following industry leaders: Chris Pierson, Senior Vice President and Chief Privacy Officer, Citizens Financial Group, is responsible for developing and implementing the company`s privacy compliance program across all business lines, including Citizens and Charter One banks. Lisa Sotto, Partner, Hunton & Williams LLP, heads the firm`s Privacy and Information Management Practice. Ms. Sotto assists clients in identifying and managing risks associated with privacy and information security issues. Michael Fox, Senior Managing Director of ICR, Inc, a leading financial communications consulting firm, provides strategic financial communications services to a broad spectrum of clients. His work has included crisis communications counsel for both retail and payment processors victimized in recent high-profile data breaches. Tom Rusin, President & Chief Executive Officer, Affinion Security Center leads all aspects of the group`s identity protection services, a market that Affinion has been active in for over 35 years. ASC`s capabilities encompass a broad range of protection, monitoring, resolution and support services, for corporations and individuals. To register for the webinar, please visit:  www.csoonline.com/webinar/pressrelease For more information please visit www.affinionsecuritycenter.com Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/asc_info About BreachShield In 2007, Affinion Security Center launched BreachShield, a full service, rapid response data security breach response and delivery program. National and multi-national enterprises, including those in the financial, retail and travel industries, partnered with BreachShield data breach solutions. Since 2007, BreachShield services have been offered to over five million individuals whose identities have been compromised by a data breach. For more information, please visit www.breachshield.com. For help responding to an incident, please call our 24/7 Hotline at 1-800-350-7209. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Affinion Group, is a global leader in providing identity protection and data security solutions to corporations and individuals. For over 35 years Affinion Security Center has been powering many of the world`s leading personal data protection and breach resolution solutions offered by local, national and multi-national enterprises in the financial, retail and travel industries. The company currently protects over 7 million subscribers with services including IdentitySecure, PrivacyGuard, PC SafetyPlus and Hotline, and serves enterprise and government agencies with the data breach preparation and response tool, BreachShield. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP). Affinion Security Center, BreachShield 2009-05-14T11:00:01-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_publishes_data_breach_response_guide/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_publishes_data_breach_response_guide/#When:11:00:00Z Manual Contains Best Practices, Case Studies and Guidance for Mitigating Financial and Reputational Damage Resulting from a Data Breach NORWALK, Conn., April 22, 2009 - As incidents of corporate data breaches continue to rise, the rules and regulations requiring compliance for breach notification and response from financial institutions, creditors and many other businesses have strengthened. On May 1, 2009 companies that extend lines of credit to consumers will need to comply with another regulation, the Federal Trade Commission’s Red Flags Rules, which calls for institutions to develop and implement written plans that document how each would prevent, detect and respond to the threat of identity theft. To help companies adhere with the new law and mitigate the financial and reputational damage from any possible data breach, Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection and breach resolution services, today published the Data Breach Response Guide. The Data Breach Response Guide provides companies with best practices, case studies and guidance for preparing written plans to address the threat of identity theft and data breaches, thereby addressing part of the requirements under the Red Flags Rules. The guide is available for download at www.affinionsecuritycenter.com. The Affinion Security Center developed the guide based on the company’s extensive experience providing data breach response programs through its BreachShield solution.  BreachShield is a comprehensive data breach response and delivery program capable of providing end to end support services, including list management, drafting of notification letters, printing and mailing - all backed by industry-leading customer service support and multi-channel enrollment options.  BreachShield has recently strengthened its offerings by adding CardCopsSM web monitoring, a leading service that monitors underground online chat rooms for stolen data, as well as Automated Fraud Alerts to its existing credit monitoring configurations. Since 2007, BreachShield’s rapid response solutions have been offered to more than five million consumers by companies that have suffered a breach. “The Data Breach Response Guide contains valuable information on how to respond to a breach, alert customers, choose resolution services and defend a company financially and from reputational damage due to the devastating effects of data loss,” said Tim Lukens, Senior Vice President of Corporate Solutions at Affinion Security Center.  “The guide comes to market at a critical time, as law enforcement develops stricter laws for companies that handle consumer data and harsher penalties for corporations that mismanage data breaches.” Although data breaches are increasingly common, many companies fail to prepare for an incident and as a result often do not meet consumers’ needs following a data breach. In 2008, the number of breaches reported grew 47% over 2007, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, and is expected to grow in 2009 absent an increasing focus by companies on data protection.  Consumers are likely to sever relationships with banks, healthcare companies and large retailers that they regularly do business with because of a data breach, according to a study by the Ponemon Institute conducted in February 2009. The study found that more than 68 percent of the $6.65 million average cost of a data breach, results from lost business, including customer termination. The Data Breach Response Guide aims to help companies create an Incident Response Plan before the occurrence of a breach, so that companies can take action more quickly and protect its business relationships after an incident. Rapid response remains one of the most crucial factors to controlling the financial repercussions of a data breach and influencing customer perceptions of how safely a company is handling their financial data. About BreachShield In 2007, Affinion Security Center launched BreachShield, a full service, rapid response data security breach response and delivery program. National and multi-national enterprises, including those in the financial, retail and travel industries, partnered with BreachShield data breach solutions. Since 2007, BreachShield services have been offered to over five million individuals whose identities have been compromised by a data breach. For more information, please visit www.breachshield.com. For help responding to an incident, please call our 24/7 Hotline at 1-800-350-7209. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Affinion Group, is a global leader in providing identity protection and data security solutions to corporations and individuals. For over 35 years Affinion Security Center has been powering many of the world’s leading personal data protection and breach resolution solutions offered by local, national and multi-national enterprises in the financial, retail and travel industries. The company currently protects over 7 million subscribers with services including IdentitySecure, PrivacyGuard, PC SafetyPlus and Hotline, and serves enterprise and government agencies with the data breach preparation and response tool, BreachShield. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) and is a member of the Staples Security Council. For more information please visit www.affinionsecuritycenter.com. Affinion Security Center, BreachShield 2009-04-22T11:00:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center39s_card_patrol_identity_theft_protection_service_c/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center39s_card_patrol_identity_theft_protection_service_c/#When:13:58:00Z by More than 100 Financial Institutions Card Patrolsm Protects Account Holders and Increases Confidence in Banking Transactions NORWALK, Conn., July 16, 2008 - Affinion Security Center, a division of Affinion Group and a leading provider of identity theft protection services, announced today that more than 100 U.S. financial institutions have selected Affinion Security Center's Card Patrolsm to guard their account holders' identity.  The benefits provided exclusively through Card Patrol℠ are now available to millions of consumers nationwide through national, regional, and community banks and credit unions.  By helping account holders fight identity theft, these financial institutions are able to enhance loyalty and trust, and provide additional reassurance about the safety of their account holders' identity. Card Patrol℠ provides an institution's account holders with real-time monitoring of the chat rooms where thieves buy and sell debit and credit card numbers to help prevent fraudulent charges before they occur. Account holders can register up to 10 cards and receive an instant e-notification of suspicious activity associated with any of their registered credit or debit card numbers.  Additionally, consumers are also notified when other personal information appears on-line, including social security number, mother’s maiden name, and card PIN numbers. "We believe that Card Patrol℠ is a way for financial institutions to encourage account holders to utilize online banking by signaling that they take security very seriously and have proactive solutions to address any issues," said Tom Rusin, CEO and President of Affinion Group, North America.  Card Patrol℠ can help financial institutions instill confidence in online banking and build account holder loyalty." Between January and December 2007 the Federal Trade Commission received more than 800,000 consumer fraud and identity theft complaints. The total number of identity theft victims reached 15 million in 2006 according to research firm Gartner. Card Patrol is a proactive tool in the fight against identity theft. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Conn.-based Affinion Group, is a premier security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator with nearly 35 years of global experience. It launched HotLine, a leading ID theft, credit card, fraud protection and security service in 1969. PrivacyGuard, a comprehensive membership credit monitoring product which was created in 1992, remains one of the most widely used credit monitoring solutions in the U.S. In 2006, ID Secure, a sophisticated tool that uses leading-edge public records, Social Security number and credit monitoring technology to fight ID theft, was born.  Another ID theft protection service in Affinion's growing security business is PC SafetyPlus, an identity theft software service that protects members with a personal firewall to thwart hackers and other online ID threats. PC SafetyPlus software features automatic updates and service upgrades for protection against prevailing computer viruses, spyware and worms. In 2008 BreachShield, the preeminent solution to corporate data breach response was introduced to the product line. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) and is a member of the Staples Security Council. For more information please visit http://www.affinion.com. Affinion, BreachShield, Card Cops 2008-07-16T13:58:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center39s_breachshield_identity_theft_protection_extended/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center39s_breachshield_identity_theft_protection_extended/#When:21:11:01Z … to More than Half a Million Victims Companies Protect Their Customers and Increase Brand Loyalty with BreachShield Norwalk, Conn., June 23, 2008 - Affinion Security Center announced today that BreachShield, a data breach security and identity theft protection service for businesses and their customers, has been provided to nearly 550,000 BreachShield client customers since its launch in February 2008. BreachShield is a comprehensive solution that helps businesses respond to data breaches by assisting companies in notifying and implementing identity theft protection plans for their customers or employees whose personal or financial data was compromised. In 43 states, companies are required by law to notify individuals whose information was compromised due to a breach. This potentially devastating and time sensitive situation is nearly impossible for businesses to handle on their own.  BreachShield offers companies a legally compliant and easily implemented plan to assist in the notification and protection of customers. The service also provides Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) trained, bi-lingual service agents for managing customer requests. Affinion Security Center's BreachShield can be put in place before a data breach occurs, offering companies a proactive breach solution that also meets the requirements of new regulations such as the Fact Act Red Flag Rules. This regulation requires financial institutions and creditors to develop and implement identity theft prevention programs for new and existing accounts before breaches occur. The law states that programs must include reasonable policies and procedures for detecting, preventing and mitigating identity theft. "As data breaches become inevitable in our mobile and digital society, more companies are turning to Affinion Security Center for the BreachShield solution," said Tom Rusin, President and CEO of Affinion Group North America. "Leading businesses know that handling a breach in a timely and attentive fashion, and offering their customers an instant solution to the potential threat of identity theft, can actually build brand loyalty and retention by signaling that your organization is proactively combating this spiraling crime." Over the last several years a wide variety of institutions including government agencies, educational institutions, financial services companies, retailers and mail order companies have suffered security breaches, leaving millions of their customers at risk of identity theft. Preparing for a breach before it occurs, by putting a plan like BreachShield in place, can help companies eliminate "crisis mode" chaos and minimize costs spent on recovering from a data breach. Affinion will co-host a data breach solutions webinar with Javelin Strategy & Research on Tuesday, June 24, at 4 p.m. Eastern. Register online at www.BreachShield.com. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Conn.-based Affinion Group, is a premier security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator with nearly 35 years of global experience. It launched HotLine, a leading ID theft, credit card, fraud protection and security service in 1969. PrivacyGuard, a comprehensive membership credit monitoring product which was created in 1992, remains one of the most widely used in the U.S. In 2006, ID Secure, a sophisticated tool that uses leading-edge public records, Social Security number and credit monitoring technology to fight ID theft, was born. Another ID theft protection service in Affinion's growing security business is PC SafetyPlus, an identity theft software service that protects members with a personal firewall to thwart hackers and other online ID threats. PC SafetyPlus software features automatic updates and service upgrades for protection against prevailing computer viruses, spyware and worms. In 2008 BreachShield, the preeminent solution to corporate data breach response, was introduced to the product line. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) and is a member of the Staples Security Council. For more information please visit www.affinion.com. BreachShield 2008-06-23T21:11:01-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_and_javelin_strategy_amp_research_to_host_webinar/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_and_javelin_strategy_amp_research_to_host_webinar/#When:14:14:00Z ...on Corporate Data Breaches Presentation will review latest research and describe solutions for companies implementing data breach management and response plans Norwalk, Conn., June 12, 2008 - Affinion Security Center, a division of Affinion Group, Inc. protecting millions of consumers from identity theft, will co-host a complimentary webinar with Javelin Strategy & Research on June 24, 2008 to discuss the latest research, risks and solutions in the field of data breach management. James Van Dyke, President and Founder of Javelin, will outline the latest research findings and Tom Rusin, President and CEO of Affinion Group North America, will review the steps a company needs to take in order to prepare for and effectively manage through a data breach. Guidance will be given on how to rapidly mobilize a tactical response, effectively manage through the crisis, and notify and protect the affected populations. Affinion Security Center provides enterprises and government agencies with BreachShield, a custom, scalable data breach solution designed for fast implementation. When a breach occurs, a prompt response is essential, and BreachShield reassures customers, partners and employees by providing quick, superior and compliant safeguards against the misuse of compromised data. The webinar will take place from 4 - 5 p.m. EDT (1 - 2 p.m. PDT) on Tuesday, June 24, 2008. Space is limited, and interested parties are encouraged to register in advance through the link available at www.breachshield.com. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Affinion Group, is a premier security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator with nearly 35 years of global experience. It launched HotLine, a leading ID theft, credit card, fraud protection and security service in 1969. PrivacyGuard, a comprehensive membership credit monitoring product which was created in 1992, remains one of the most widely used in the U.S. In 2006, ID Secure, a sophisticated tool that uses leading-edge public records, Social Security number and credit monitoring technology to fight ID theft, was born. Another ID theft protection service in Affinion's growing security business is PC SafetyPlus, an identity theft software service that protects members with a personal firewall to thwart hackers and other online ID threats. PC SafetyPlus software features automatic updates and service upgrades for protection against prevailing computer viruses, spyware and worms. In 2008 BreachShield, the preeminent solution to corporate data breach response, was introduced to the product line. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) and is a member of the Staples Security Council. For more information please visit www.affinionsecuritycenter.com. About Javelin Strategy & Research Javelin is a leading independent provider of nationally-representative, quantitative research focused exclusively on financial services topics. Based on the most rigorous statistical methodologies, Javelin conducts in-depth primary research studies to pinpoint dynamic risks and opportunities. Javelin helps its clients achieve their business initiatives through three service offerings, including syndicated research subscriptions, custom research projects and strategic consulting. The company's client list includes some of the largest banks, credit unions and card issuers, as well as significant technology enterprises in financial services industry. Visit the company at www.javelinstrategy.com.  Affinion, BreachShield 2008-06-12T14:14:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_group_launches_breachshield_to_help_businesses_manage_all_stages_o/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_group_launches_breachshield_to_help_businesses_manage_all_stages_o/#When:16:00:00Z Provides Dedicated Team and High Level of Protection Norwalk, Conn., March 25, 2008 – Affinion Group, a leading global affinity marketer and preeminent provider of identity theft protection services, has launched one of the first data breach security protection and ID theft services to help financial institutions, retailers and businesses effectively prepare for, manage, and respond to data breaches, one of the biggest threats facing businesses today and a situation that puts customer data and relationships at risk. So far this year, there have been 141 data breaches affecting more than 7.1 million people, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. At least 38 states have enacted legislation that mandates businesses must disclose when a breach occurs, which makes management and protection a critical issue for companies. BreachShield security experts can develop an incident response plan for a business prior to a breach in order to increase the efficiency of the response and minimize confusion and damages. Should a breach occur, BreachShield offers businesses personalized service from a dedicated rapid response team available 24 hours a day. The team develops and implements a comprehensive, fully-compliant incident response, including documenting all required information and protecting the impacted individuals from ID theft and other misuse of their personal data. “When businesses suffer a breach their most important assets - their customers - are at risk,” said Tom Rusin, president of Affinion Group North America. “BreachShield guides businesses through the incident response process and provides them the tools that they need to face this threat to their customers and their brands.” Following a breach, BreachShield allows businesses to react quickly, notify their customers immediately and help defend them against identity theft. The solution offers an array of options that business can choose to offer customers, including daily credit monitoring, credit scoring, Social Security Number monitoring, ID theft insurance and an ID theft resolution center with dedicated resolution caseworkers. BreachShield enables businesses to customize and designate notification methods, program configuration, low-cost consumer enrollment options and other key aspects of consumer protection initiatives. Companies can benefit from improved management of security breaches in other ways. Companies that have a strong breach disclosure plan in place which includes customer notification can minimize reputational damage. A Javelin Strategy & Research study found that more than half of all consumers report that they view companies who have taken the time to notify them of a data security breach more favorably. In addition, 84 percent of consumers say they are more likely to shop at merchants who are viewed as data security leaders. BreachShield is the latest weapon in Affinion’s growing arsenal of ID theft protection solutions, which include such leading-edge fraud protection services as PrivacyGuard, ID Secure, CardCops, PC SafetyPlus and Hotline. For more information about BreachShield, visit www.breachshield.com. Information about Affinion’s other ID theft protection solutions can be found at www.affinion.com . “Data breaches are one of the most prevalent breeding grounds for ID theft today, and there’s an even greater need in the marketplace for innovative identity theft technologies that can offer security and peace of mind,” said Frank Abagnale, former master forger, leading fraud prevention expert and Affinion spokesperson, whose life story inspired Steven Spielberg’s movie Catch Me if You Can. “Breach protection solutions such as BreachShield gives businesses and organizations one of the best ID theft prevention tools in the marketplace.” Some of the most notorious data breach cases in the past few years are the ChoicePoint breach, which affected 167,000 people, the Veterans Administration breach, affecting 28.6 million veterans and the TJX Companies breach, which affected 45.7 million consumers. And just last week, a computer data breach at Hannaford Brothers supermarket chain affecting some 4.2 million people was disclosed. As data breaches continue to spiral out of control, so does ID Theft. According to another study from Javelin Strategy & Research, there have been 44.8 million victims of identity theft in the past five years in the United States, and nearly 18 million in the past two years alone. This crime costs more than $51 billion or $5,920 per victim annually, becoming so prevalent that an identity thief strikes on average every 3.5 seconds. In fact, ID theft has now surpassed drug trafficking as the No. 1 crime in America, according to the Justice Department. About Affinion Group, Inc. As a global leader with nearly 35 years of experience, Affinion Group (www.affinion.com) enhances the value of its partners’ customer relationships by developing and marketing valuable loyalty, membership, checking account, insurance and other compelling products and services. Leveraging its expertise in product development and targeted marketing, Affinion helps generate significant incremental revenue for more than 5,300 affinity partners worldwide, including many of the largest and most respected companies in financial services, retail, travel, and Internet commerce. Based in Norwalk, Conn., the company has approximately 3,300 employees throughout the United States and in 10 countries across Europe. Affinion holds the prestigious ISO 27001 certification for the highest information security practices, is PCI compliant and Cybertrust certified. Affinion Group has established itself as a premiere security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator. It launched HotLine, a leading ID theft, credit card, fraud protection and security service in 1969. PrivacyGuard, a comprehensive membership credit monitoring product which was created in 1992, remains one of the largest in the U.S. In 2006, ID Secure (http://www.idsecure.com), a sophisticated tool that uses leading-edge public records, Social Security number and credit monitoring technology to fight ID theft, was born. Other ID theft protection services in Affinion’s growing security business include PC SafetyPlus, an identity theft software service that protects members with a personal firewall to thwart hackers and other online ID threats. PC SafetyPlus software features automatic updates and service upgrades for protection against prevailing computer viruses, spyware and worms. Affinion Group is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) and is a member of the Staples Security Council. BreachShield 2008-03-25T16:00:00-06:00