Chapter 601

601.952(3)(a) (a) Design an information security program to mitigate the identified threats, commensurate with the size and complexity of the licensee, the nature and scope of the licensee’s activities, including its use of 3rd-party service providers, and the sensitivity of the nonpublic information.

601.952(3)(b) (b) Implement the following security measures, as appropriate:

601.952(3)(b)1. 1. Place access controls on information systems.

601.952(3)(b)2. 2. Identify and manage the data, personnel, devices, systems, and facilities that enable the licensee to achieve its business purposes, taking into consideration the relative importance of the data, personnel, devices, systems, and facilities to the business objectives and risk strategy of the licensee.

601.952(3)(b)3. 3. Restrict physical access to nonpublic information to authorized individuals only.

601.952(3)(b)4. 4. Protect, by encryption or other means, nonpublic information being transmitted over an external network and nonpublic information stored on a portable computer or storage device or media.

601.952(3)(b)5. 5. Adopt secure development practices for applications that are developed in-house and utilized by the licensee.

601.952(3)(b)6. 6. Modify information systems in accordance with the licensee’s information security program.

601.952(3)(b)7. 7. Utilize effective controls, which may include multifactor authentication procedures for employees accessing nonpublic information.

601.952(3)(b)8. 8. Implement regular testing and monitoring of systems and procedures to detect actual and attempted attacks on, or intrusions into, an information system.

601.952(3)(b)9. 9. Include audit trails within the information security program that are designed to detect and respond to cybersecurity events and to reconstruct material financial transactions sufficient to support the normal operations and obligations of the licensee.

601.952(3)(b)10. 10. Implement measures to protect against the destruction, loss, or damage of nonpublic information due to environmental hazards, natural and other disasters, and technological failures.

601.952(3)(b)11. 11. Develop, implement, and maintain practices for the secure disposal of nonpublic information in all formats.

601.952(3)(c) (c) Designate at least one employee, affiliate, or outside vendor as responsible for the information security program.

601.952(3)(d) (d) Stay informed regarding emerging threats and vulnerabilities and implement safeguards to manage the threats and vulnerabilities.

601.952(3)(e) (e) No less than annually, assess the effectiveness of security safeguards, including key controls, systems, and procedures.

601.952(3)(f) (f) Include cybersecurity risks in the licensee’s enterprise risk management process.

601.952(3)(g) (g) Utilize reasonable security measures when sharing information, taking into consideration the character of the sharing and the type of information shared.

601.952(3)(h) (h) Provide personnel with cybersecurity awareness training that is updated as necessary.

601.952(4) (4) Program adjustments. The licensee shall monitor, evaluate, and adjust the information security program under sub. (1) consistent with changes in technology, the sensitivity of the nonpublic information, internal and external threats to nonpublic information, and changes to the licensee’s business operations, outsourcing arrangements, and information systems. If a licensee identifies areas, systems, or processes that require material improvement, updating, or redesign, the licensee shall document the identification and remedial efforts to address the areas, systems, or processes. The licensee shall maintain the documentation for a period of at least 5 years starting from the date the documentation was created and shall produce the documentation upon demand of the commissioner.

601.952(5) (5) Incident response plan. As part of its information security program, a licensee shall develop an incident response plan to promptly respond to, and recover from, a cybersecurity event that compromises the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of nonpublic information, the licensee’s information systems, or the continuing functionality of any aspect of the licensee’s business or operations. The incident response plan shall be in writing and address all of the following:

601.952(5)(a) (a) The goals of the incident response plan.

601.952(5)(b) (b) The internal process for responding to a cybersecurity event.

601.952(5)(c) (c) The identification of clear roles, responsibilities, and levels of decision-making authority during and immediately following a cybersecurity event.

601.952(5)(d) (d) The external and internal communications and information sharing during and immediately following a cybersecurity event.

601.952(5)(e) (e) Requirements for the remediation of identified weaknesses in the information systems and associated controls.

601.952(5)(f) (f) The reporting and documentation of a cybersecurity event and related incident response activities.

601.952(5)(g) (g) The evaluation and revision of the incident response plan following a cybersecurity event.

601.952(6) (6) Oversight of 3rd-party service provider arrangements. If applicable, no later than November 1, 2023, a licensee shall exercise due diligence when selecting any 3rd-party service provider. The licensee shall make reasonable efforts to require a 3rd-party service provider to do all of the following:

601.952(6)(a) (a) Implement appropriate administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect and secure the information systems and nonpublic information that are accessible to or held by the 3rd-party service provider.

601.952(6)(b) (b) Report a cybersecurity event under s. 601.954.

601.952(7) (7) Oversight by board of directors. If a licensee has a board of directors, the board or an appropriate committee of the board shall, at a minimum, do all of the following:

601.952(7)(a) (a) Require the licensee’s executive management to develop, implement, and maintain the information security program under sub. (1).

601.952(7)(b) (b) Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of the information security program.

601.952(7)(c) (c) Require the licensee’s executive management to report, at least annually, all of the following information to the board:

601.952(7)(c)1. 1. The overall status of the information security program and the licensee’s compliance with this subchapter.

601.952(7)(c)2. 2. Material matters relating to the information security program, including issues relating to risk assessment, risk management and control decisions, 3rd-party service provider arrangements, and security testing.

601.952(7)(c)3. 3. Recommendations for modifications to the information security program.

601.952(8) (8) Annual certification to commissioner. Beginning in 2023, a licensee who is domiciled in this state shall annually submit, no later than March 1, to the commissioner a written certification that the licensee is in compliance with the requirements of this section. The licensee shall maintain all records, schedules, and data supporting the certification for a period of at least 5 years and shall produce the records, schedules, and data upon demand of the commissioner.

601.952(9) (9) Exemptions.

601.952(9)(a) (a) This section does not apply to a licensee who meets any of the following criteria:

601.952(9)(a)1. 1. Has less than $10,000,000 in year-end total assets.

601.952(9)(a)2. 2. Has less than $5,000,000 in gross annual revenue.

601.952(9)(a)3. 3. Has fewer than 50 employees, including independent contractors, who work at least 30 hours a week for the licensee.

601.952(9)(b) (b) A licensee who ceases to qualify for the exemption under par. (a) shall comply with this section no later than 180 days after the date the licensee ceases to qualify.

601.952 History History: 2021 a. 73.

601.953 601.953 Investigation of cybersecurity event.

601.953(1) (1) If a licensee learns that a cybersecurity event involving the licensee’s information systems or nonpublic information has or may have occurred, the licensee, or an outside vendor or service provider designated to act on behalf of the licensee, shall conduct a prompt investigation that, at a minimum, includes all of the following:

601.953(1)(a) (a) An assessment of the nature and scope of the cybersecurity event.

601.953(1)(b) (b) The identification of any nonpublic information that was or may have been involved in the cybersecurity event.

601.953(1)(c) (c) The performance of reasonable measures to restore the security of the licensee’s information systems compromised in the cybersecurity event and prevent additional unauthorized acquisition, release, or use of nonpublic information.

601.953(2) (2) If a licensee knows that a cybersecurity event has or may have occurred in an information system maintained by a 3rd-party service provider, the licensee shall comply with sub. (1) or make reasonable efforts to confirm and document that the 3rd-party service provider has either complied with sub. (1) or failed to cooperate with the investigation under sub. (1).

601.953(3) (3) The licensee shall maintain records concerning a cybersecurity event for a period of at least 5 years starting from the date of the cybersecurity event and shall produce the records upon demand of the commissioner.

601.953 History History: 2021 a. 73.

601.954 601.954 Notification of a cybersecurity event.

601.954(1) (1) Notification to the commissioner.

601.954(1)(a) (a) A licensee shall notify the commissioner that a cybersecurity event involving nonpublic information has occurred if any of the following conditions is met:

601.954(1)(a)1. 1. The licensee is domiciled in this state and the cybersecurity event has a reasonable likelihood of materially harming a consumer or a material part of the normal operations of the licensee.

601.954(1)(a)2. 2. The cybersecurity event is any of the following and the licensee reasonably believes that the cybersecurity event involves the nonpublic information of at least 250 consumers:

601.954(1)(a)2.a. a. A cybersecurity event for which notice is required to be provided to a government body, self-regulatory agency, or other supervisory entity under state or federal law.

601.954(1)(a)2.b. b. A cybersecurity event that has a reasonable likelihood of materially harming a consumer or a material part of the normal operations of the licensee.

601.954(1)(b) (b) A licensee shall provide the notification under par. (a) in electronic form and as promptly as possible, but no later than 3 business days from the determination that the cybersecurity event occurred. In the notification, the licensee shall provide as much of the following information as possible:

601.954(1)(b)1. 1. The date and source of the cybersecurity event and the time period during which information systems were compromised by the cybersecurity event.

601.954(1)(b)2. 2. A description of how the cybersecurity event was discovered.

601.954(1)(b)3. 3. A description of how the nonpublic information was exposed, lost, stolen, or breached and an explanation of how the information has been, or is in the process of being, recovered.

601.954(1)(b)4. 4. A description of the specific data elements, including types of medical, financial, and personally identifiable information, that were acquired without authorization.

601.954(1)(b)5. 5. The number of consumers affected by the cybersecurity event.

601.954(1)(b)6. 6. A description of efforts to address the circumstances that allowed the cybersecurity event to occur.

601.954(1)(b)7. 7. The results of any internal review related to the cybersecurity event, including the identification of a lapse in automated controls or internal procedures.

601.954(1)(b)8. 8. Whether the licensee notified a government body, self-regulatory agency, or other supervisory entity of the cybersecurity event and, if applicable, the date the notification was provided.

601.954(1)(b)9. 9. A copy of the licensee’s privacy policy and a statement outlining the steps the licensee will take, or has taken, to investigate and notify consumers affected by the cybersecurity event.

601.954(1)(b)10. 10. The name of a contact person who is familiar with the cybersecurity event and authorized to act for the licensee.

601.954(1)(c) (c) The licensee shall update and supplement the information provided under par. (b) to address material changes to the information as additional information becomes available to the licensee.

601.954(2) (2) Notice to consumers and producers of record.

601.954(2)(a) (a) Notice to consumers. If a licensee knows that nonpublic information of a consumer in the licensee’s possession has been acquired by a person whom the licensee has not authorized to acquire the nonpublic information, the licensee shall make reasonable efforts to notify each consumer who is the subject of the nonpublic information. The notice shall indicate that the licensee knows of the unauthorized acquisition of nonpublic information pertaining to the consumer.

601.954(2)(b) (b) Notice to consumer reporting agencies. If, as the result of a single incident, a licensee is required under par. (a) to notify 1,000 or more consumers, the licensee shall without unreasonable delay notify all consumer reporting agencies that compile and maintain files on consumers on a nationwide basis, as defined in 15 USC 1681a (p), of the timing, distribution, and content of the notices sent to the consumers.

601.954(2)(c) (c) Exceptions. Notwithstanding pars. (a) and (b), a licensee is not required to provide notice of the acquisition of nonpublic information if any of the following applies:

601.954(2)(c)1. 1. The acquisition of nonpublic information does not create a material risk of identity theft or fraud to the individual who is the subject of the nonpublic information.

601.954(2)(c)2. 2. The nonpublic information was acquired in good faith by an employee or agent of the licensee and is used for a lawful purpose of the licensee.

601.954(2)(d) (d) Timing and manner of notice; other requirements.

601.954(2)(d)1. 1. Subject to par. (h), a licensee shall provide the notice required under par. (a) within a reasonable time, not to exceed 45 days after the licensee learns of the acquisition of nonpublic information. A determination as to reasonableness under this subdivision shall include consideration of the number of notices that the licensee must provide and the methods of communication available to the licensee.

601.954(2)(d)2. 2. A licensee shall provide the notice required under par. (a) by mail or by a method the licensee has previously employed to communicate with the consumer who is the subject of the nonpublic information. If a licensee cannot with reasonable diligence determine the mailing address of the subject of the nonpublic information, and if the licensee has not previously communicated with the subject of the nonpublic information, the licensee shall provide notice by a method reasonably calculated to provide actual notice to the subject of the nonpublic information.

601.954(2)(d)3. 3. Upon written request by a consumer who has received a notice under par. (a), the licensee that provided the notice shall identify the nonpublic information that was acquired.

601.954(2)(e) (e) Notice to commissioner. A licensee shall provide to the commissioner a form of any notice sent under this subsection.

601.954(2)(f) (f) Exceptions for certain entities. This subsection does not apply to any entity that is described in 45 CFR 164.104, if the entity complies with the requirements of 45 CFR part 164.

601.954(2)(g) (g) Effect on civil claims. Failure to comply with this section is not negligence or a breach of any duty, but may be evidence of negligence or a breach of a legal duty.

601.954(2)(h) (h) Request by law enforcement not to notify. A law enforcement agency may, in order to protect an investigation or homeland security, ask a licensee not to provide a notice that is otherwise required under par. (a) or (i) for any period of time and the notification process required under this subsection shall begin at the end of that time period. Notwithstanding pars. (a), (d), and (i), if a licensee receives such a request, the licensee may not provide notice of or publicize an unauthorized acquisition of nonpublic information, except as authorized by the law enforcement agency that made the request.

601.954(2)(i) (i) Notice to producer of record. If the licensee is an insurer whose services are accessed by consumers through an independent insurance producer, the licensee shall notify the producer of record of any consumers whose nonpublic information has been acquired without authorization or affected by a cybersecurity event no later than the date at which notice is provided in par. (d), except that notice is not required to a producer of record who is not authorized by law or contract to sell, solicit, or negotiate on behalf of the licensee or if the licensee does not have the current producer of record information for a consumer.

601.954(3) (3) Third-party service providers. If the licensee has knowledge of a cybersecurity event involving nonpublic information on an information system maintained by a 3rd-party service provider and any of the conditions in sub. (1) (a) are met, the licensee shall provide notice to the commissioner no later than 3 days after the earlier of the date the 3rd-party service provider notifies the licensee of the cybersecurity event or the licensee has actual knowledge of the cybersecurity event. The licensee is not required to comply with this subsection if the 3rd-party service provider provides notice under sub. (1).