House Republican Press Release

April 23, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Miller: Recent Credit Data Breach Highlights Shortcomings of Identity Theft Laws

HARTFORD- Representative Lawrence Miller (R- 122) today pledged to introduce measures on the floor of the State House of Representatives that would shore up Connecticut’s identity theft laws before the current session ends.  Miller noted that House debate on House Bill 6877, An Act Concerning Credit Scores and Free Yearly Credit Reports, revealed critical failures in the protection of consumer credit data.

In January of this year, TJX Companies, Inc., the company that operates T.J. Maxx and Marshalls Department stores discovered that computer hackers illegally accessed consumer information by breaking into their network.  TJX notified customers via mail that their data had been compromised, potentially including names, addresses and driver’s license numbers.

“As a result of this breach, a number of residents now have to go through the exercise of contacting the Department of Motor Vehicles, closing accounts, and monitoring their credit files to see if any fraudulent activity shows up,” said Miller. “This is why I have attempted to include in the Credit Score bill a provision allowing individuals who have had credit data compromised to be able to obtain a free credit report in addition to the one free report they are entitled to per year.”

Miller pledged to offer this measure, as well as others that will require companies to encrypt consumer data on their computer networks to further protect individual from identity theft.

“Individuals have a level of responsibility in protecting themselves from identity theft, but companies that have possession of consumer data need to accept a greater burden in protecting this information from thieves and hackers,” said Miller.  “I will work to see that they do just that.”

This session of the Connecticut General Assembly will conclude at midnight, June 6^th, 2007.