NAFCU’s B. Dan Berger: Tell Congress it’s time for data-security standards for retailers
Every time there is a retailer data-security breach, credit unions step forward to make their members whole. A NAFCU survey found that its member credit unions paid an average of $226,000 each in costs associated with retailer data breaches in 2014. Meanwhile, large companies like Target might lose less than one-tenth of one percent of their annual sales due to a data-security breach; and if they want to recoup expenses, they can always raise prices. Credit unions, as not-for-profit, member-owned institutions, have no such remedy.
It’s time to get a national data-security standard in place for retailers. And to do that, we need everyone in the industry – trades, credit unions and the more than 107 million credit union members nationwide – to raise their voices and make Congress take action.