(a) Notice to affected persons under this section is not required if the exposure of private information was an inadvertent disclosure by persons authorized to access private information, and the person or business reasonably determines such exposure will not likely result in misuse of such information, or financial harm to the affected persons or emotional harm in the case of unknown disclosure of online credentials as found in subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of this section. Such a determination must be documented in writing and maintained for at least five years. If the incident affects over five hundred residents of New York, the person or business shall provide the written determination to the state attorney general within ten days after the determination.
(b) If notice of the breach of the security of the system is made to affected persons pursuant to the breach notification requirements under any of the following laws, nothing in this section shall require any additional notice to those affected persons, but notice still shall be provided to the state attorney general, the department of state and the division of state police pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision eight of this section and to consumer reporting agencies pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision eight of this section:
5. The notice required by this section shall be directly provided to the affected persons by one of the following methods:
(a) written notice;
(b) electronic notice, provided that the person to whom notice is required has expressly consented to receiving said notice in electronic form and a log of each such notification is kept by the person or business who notifies affected persons in such form; provided further, however, that in no case shall any person or business require a person to consent to accepting said notice in said form as a condition of establishing any business relationship or engaging in any transaction.
(d) substitute notice, if a business demonstrates to the state attorney general that the cost of providing notice would exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or that the affected class of subject persons to be notified exceeds five hundred thousand, or such business does not have sufficient contact information. Substitute notice shall consist of all of the following:
(1) e-mail notice when such business has an e-mail address for the subject persons, except if the breached information includes an e-mail address in combination with a password or security question and answer that would permit access to the online account, in which case the person or business shall instead provide clear and conspicuous notice delivered to the consumer online when the consumer is connected to the online account from an internet protocol address or from an online location which the person or business knows the consumer customarily uses to access the online account;
(2) conspicuous posting of the notice on such business's web site page, if such business maintains one; and
6. (a) whenever the attorney general shall believe from evidence satisfactory to him or her that there is a violation of this article he or she may bring an action in the name and on behalf of the people of the state of New York, in a court of justice having jurisdiction to issue an injunction, to enjoin and restrain the continuation of such violation. In such action, preliminary relief may be granted under article sixty-three of the civil practice law and rules. In such action the court may award damages for actual costs or losses incurred by a person entitled to notice pursuant to this article, if notification was not provided to such person pursuant to this article, including consequential financial losses. Whenever the court shall determine in such action that a person or business violated this article knowingly or recklessly, the court may impose a civil penalty of the greater of five thousand dollars or up to [ten] twenty dollars per instance of failed notification, provided that the latter amount shall not exceed one] two hundred fifty thousand dollars.
(c) no action may be brought under the provisions of this section unless such action is commenced within [two] three years [immediately] after either the date [of the act complained of or the date of discovery of such act] on which the attorney general became aware of the violation, or the date of notice sent pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision eight of this section, whichever occurs first. In no event shall an action be brought after six years from the date of discovery of the breach of private information by the company unless the company took steps to hide the breach.
7. Regardless of the method by which notice is provided, such notice shall include contact information for the person or business making the notification, the telephone numbers and websites of the relevant state and federal agencies that provide information regarding security breach response and identity theft prevention and protection information, and a description of the categories of information that were, or are reason ably believed to have been, accessed or acquired by a person without valid authorization, including specification of which of the elements of personal information and private information were, or are reasonably believed to have been, so accessed or acquired.
8. (a) In the event that any New York residents are to be notified, the person or business shall notify the state attorney general, the department of state and the division of state police as to the timing, content and distribution of the notices and approximate number of affected persons and shall provide a copy of the template of the notice sent to affected persons. Such notice shall be made without delaying notice to affected New York residents.
(b) In the event that more than five thousand New York residents are to be notified at one time, the person or business shall also notify consumer reporting agencies as to the timing, content and distribution of the notices and approximate number of affected persons. Such notice shall be made without delaying notice to affected New York residents.
2. Any state entity that owns or licenses computerized data that includes private information shall disclose any breach of the security of the system following discovery or notification of the breach in the security of the system to any resident of New York state whose private information was, or is reasonably believed to have been, accessed or acquired by a person without valid authorization. The disclosure shall be made in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay, consistent with the legitimate needs of law enforcement, as provided in subdivision four of this section, or any measures necessary to determine the scope of the breach and restore the [reasonable] integrity of the data system. The state entity shall consult with the state office of information technology services to determine the scope of the breach and restoration measures. Within ninety days of the notice of the breach, the office of information technology services shall deliver a report on the scope of the breach and recommendations to restore and improve the security of the system to the state entity.
(a) Notice to affected persons under this section is not required if the exposure of private information was an inadvertent disclosure by persons authorized to access private information, and the state entity reasonably determines such exposure will not likely result in misuse of such information, or financial or emotional harm to the affected persons. Such a determination must be documented in writing and maintained for at least five years. If the incident affected over five hundred residents of New York, the state entity shall provide the written determination to the state attorney general within ten days after the determination.
(b) If notice of the breach of the security of the system is made to affected persons pursuant to the breach notification requirements under any of the following laws, nothing in this section shall require any additional notice to those affected persons, but notice still shall be provided to the state attorney general, the department of state and the office of information technology services pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision seven of this section and to consumer reporting agencies pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision seven of this section:
6. Regardless of the method by which notice is provided, such notice shall include contact information for the state entity making the notification, the telephone numbers and websites of the relevant state and federal agencies that provide information regarding security breach response and identity theft prevention and protection information and a description of the categories of information that were, or are reason ably believed to have been, accessed or acquired by a person without valid authorization, including specification of which of the elements of personal information and private information were, or are reasonably believed to have been, so accessed or acquired.
7. (a) In the event that any New York residents are to be notified, the state entity shall notify the state attorney general, the department of state and the state office of information technology services as to the timing, content and distribution of the notices and approximate number of affected persons and provide a copy of the template of the notice sent to affected persons. Such notice shall be made without delaying notice to affected New York residents.
(b) In the event that more than five thousand New York residents are to be notified at one time, the state entity shall also notify consumer reporting agencies as to the timing, content and distribution of the notices and approximate number of affected persons. Such notice shall be made without delaying notice to affected New York residents.