Sample Data Breach Notification Letter [2022]

A Data Incident Notification Letter is a formal statement sent by a company to notify its workers, clients, and other stakeholders about a security breach.

This paper not only informs recipients of the data breach and subsequent disclosure of personal and corporate information but also explains how to resolve the problem.

What Should Be Included in a Data Breach Notification Letter?

While you are free to alter the Data Breach Notification Letter template to meet your organization's needs, you should include the following information in your letter:

Introduce yourself, provide the date, your name, and a greeting for the receiver.
The breach's description. Provide whatever information you have at your disposal, as well as the number of persons who may have been affected by the security breach. For example, you can inform the letter's recipient that the customers' names and credit card data are now exposed to the entire public.
Actions that the letter reader may take right now to safeguard their interests. If you feel that critical corporate information has been exposed to rivals, the addressee should change their passwords while you contact an expert who will monitor the company's accounts and secure them from future illegal access.
Actions you're taking to look into the issue and prevent a repeat.
The letter writer's contact information. Provide your phone number and email address in case the receiver (employee, client, or business partner) notices anything strange that might jeopardise the security of their personal and professional accounts.
Apology for the inconvenience, assurance that you are working diligently to resolve the problem, and the letter writer's signature. Send this email notice to ensure that the information reaches the appropriate recipients on time.

1. Sample data breach notification letter to employees

Dear (Name)

We realised our office suite had been broken into and our computers had been taken on the morning of [Date].

Medical data and financial information, including credit card and Social Security numbers for multiple individuals, including yours, were kept on the computers. As a result, unauthorised parties may now have access to your personal information.

We phoned local police and reported the break-in as soon as we discovered it.
If you have any questions, please call the Reno Police Department and refer to case number [Number].

To protect yourself from the dangers connected with this data breach, we recommend that you take the following steps:
Information about health insurance and medical records. Examine your insurance administrator's explanation of the benefits statement regularly to see any services mentioned that you did not receive, call your administrator at the number indicated on your statement right once. You should also check your credit records for any unpaid medical expenses. Call the credit reporting agency listed on the report if you see anything questionable.
SSN. Set up a fraud alert or a security freeze on your credit records. A fraud warning compels potential creditors to verify your identification before granting credit in your name using "reasonable processes and procedures," as defined by the law. Your accounts will be alerted for 90 days. Your credit files will be frozen, making it impossible for anybody to get credit in your name. At any point, you can unlock them for a limited time or permanently.
Account numbers in the financial system Close your account right away by contacting your bank or credit card company. Inform them that your account may have been hacked, and suggest that they close it "at the request of the client." Ask for a PIN or password if you want to establish a new account. This will assist in limiting account access.
Information about your online account. [Affected Email] requires you to reset your login, password, and security questions and answers. For further information, speak with your service provider.
We take our responsibility to protect your personal information very seriously. The ABC.com team apologises for any anxiety this issue may bring you, but please know that we are working as rapidly as possible to correct the situation.

We've set up a phone line for you to contact if you have any questions or concerns concerning the loss of your personal information. During regular business hours, dial 1-702-123-4456.

Sincerely,
ZY.com Customer Service Department

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2. Sample data breach notification letter

(Date)

(Insert person's name here):

We're writing to let you know about a recent security breach at [organization's name]. The New York State Information and Security Breach and Notification Act (General Business Law Section 899-aa or State Technology Law Section 208) mandate mandating of this notification.

[Inform the letter's recipient of what they can do to protect themselves as specified below by describing what happened in basic terms, including the date of the security event, certain categories of personal/private information that were involved, and what you're doing in response.)

We urge that you immediately set a fraud alert on your credit reports to protect yourself from the danger of identity theft.

A fraud alert informs everyone who requests your credit report that you believe you have been the victim of fraud. When you or someone else tries to create a credit account in your name, the lender should take steps to ensure that you have given your permission. A fraud warning will not prevent you from using your current credit cards or other accounts, but it may make it more difficult to obtain new credit.

The validity of an initial fraud alert is ninety (90) days. Contact one of the three main credit reporting agencies at the numbers provided below or at their websites to issue a fraud warning on your credit reports. On your behalf, one agency will notify the other two.

The agencies will then send you letters with information on how to get a free copy of your credit report from each of them.

Residents of New York may also want to consider putting a Security Freeze on their credit reports. A Security Freeze stops most potential creditors from checking your credit records, making it more difficult for illegal accounts to be opened.

Examine each credit report carefully when you receive it from each agency. Look for accounts you didn't start, creditor queries you didn't initiate, and make sure your personal information is up to dates, such as your home address and Social Security number. Call the credit reporting agency at the phone number on the report if you find anything you don't understand or recognise.

Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 1025281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5283

If there is anything else [name of your organisation and website] can do to assist you, please call [name] and [phone number].

Please note that this example breach notification letter to New York citizens is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice or policy of the State of New York. For further information, you should consult with a private specialist and/or an attorney.

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Sample Data Breach Notification Letter [2022]