Nevada Law - Standards-Based Encryption


  • Nevada law has data encryption standards

Encryption for data in transmission

  • requires data collectors to use encryption if they are transmitting personal information outside of their business network
  • must encrypt the data if it is sent externally via email or any other electronic transmission
  • helps protect data while it is being transferred from one entity to another
  • excludes facsimiles (fax) from the transmission encryption requirements

Encryption for data at rest

  • requires data collectors to encrypt personal information on any data storage device that is moved beyond the technical or physical controls of their business
  • means that they must encrypt any storage device that leaves the business location
  • must encrypt backup tapes containing personal information that they send to an off-site storage facility
  • helps protect data if the storage media is lost or stolen

Key Aspects

  • encryption rule is novel because of its breadth
    • covers data when it is stored and when it is transmitted
    • law is also interesting because of how it defines encryption
      • data collectors must use encryption technologies adopted by a standards-setting body
      • references the Federal Information Processing Standards
      • technology used must make the personal information unreadable
  • requires that data collectors use good cryptographic key management practices to protect encryption keys
    • requires data collectors to use key management practices created by a standards setting body
    • specifically refers to NIST standards

Liability

  • data collector that complies with the law is not liable for damages resulting from a security breach