Call them the data breach police. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), once known primarily for chasing down flimflammers and makers of shoddy products, has transformed itself into the primary enforcer of federal law and regulations surrounding consumer privacy issues. Even as huge cybercrimes at Target, Home Depot and Sony Pictures Entertainment dominate the headlines, ongoing FTC legal actions aimed at companies like LabMD and Wyndham Worldwide Corp. - where federal courts greenlighted the agency's enforcement authority over data breaches - may ultimately prove far more important in establishing standards for private sector protection of consumer privacy and the penalties for the failure to do so. It comes as no surprise that President Obama, in a preview of his State of the Union address, chose to announce his proposal of a national data breach law in a speech at the FTC, in which he praised the agency's efforts.
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