The State of Massachusetts Data Breach Archive Is Available Online

The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulations (OCABR) announced the public availability online of its data breach notification archive. To comply with Massachusetts state laws enacted in 2007, companies and entities must notify both the OCABR and the Attorney General's Office anytime personal information is accidentally or intentionally compromised.

Consumer Affairs Undersecretary John Chapman stated:

“The Data Breach Notification Archive is a public record that the public and media have every right to view... Making it easily accessible by putting it online is not only in keeping with the guidelines suggested in the new Public Records law, but also with Governor Baker’s commitment to greater transparency throughout the Executive Office.”

The OCABR breach archive includes a tabular listing of data breaches in Adobe PDF format. Each listing includes the following data elements: date the breach was reported, organization name, breach type, number of residents affected, types of sensitive personal data (e.g., Social Security Number, account number, driver's license identifier, credit card number) exposed or stolen, whether the organization offered free credit monitoring to affected residents, if the data was encrypted, and if the breach included mobile devices. The archive does not include the full text of the breach notification letters received. The breach archive also includes summary information:

Breaches and Residents Affected By Year
Year	# Notifications	# Affected Residents
2007 (Nov to Dec)	30	8,499
2008	413	700,918
2009	437	357,869
2010	473	1,015,693
2011	614	1,163,917
2012	1,139	326,411
2013	1,829	1,163,643
2014	1,603	354,130
2015	1,834	1,338,048
2016	1,866	188,809
Total	10,238	5,454,294

According to the Census Bureau, Massachusetts' population was just under 6.8 million in 2015. So, the total number of affected residents equals about 80 percent of the state's population.

Nebraska, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Tennessee recently strengthened their breach laws with expanded definitions, encryption, requirements to notify the state's attorney general, and requirements to notify affected persons within forty-five (45) days. While most states -- 46 have some type of breach laws, some (California, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin) post online breach notices they have received.

Some states' sites provide their breach archives using static Adobe PDF file formats. The better-designed sites make it easy for residents to search and view information about specific breach incidents. these sites feature interactive search mechanisms that allow users to enter the name of company or state agency, date range filters, and file download options compatible with spreadsheet software. Some states -- California, South Carolina, and Washington -- produce detailed breach reports explaining the breaches by industry, type, and cause.

Without the full text, interactive search, and filter mechanisms, the OCABR breach archive is a marginally helpful resource. Consumers can still use it to verify the breach notices they have received via postal mail, since identity thieves often send fake breach notices trying to trick consumers into revealing their sensitive personal information. Using the OCABR breach archive is slow and awkward, since users must download each PDF file and perform a text search for an organization with each file. Plus, the archive lacks both street address and company business unit information, making it impossible for users to distinguish between entries with the same organization name.

Basically, something is better than nothing.

What are your opinions of the breach archive by Massachusetts? If I missed any states that provide beach notices online, please share below.