New incident response plan available for free download.

• Position: Technology

Most organizations have some kind of crisis communications plan that addresses natural or man-made disasters, but these plans may not completely speak to more sensitive, personal issues like identity theft and information security.

If a break of personal information occulted in your organization, are you equipped to effectively handle damage control for your clients and customers?

Maintaining the privacy and protection of customers' and employees' personal information is a risk management issue for all organizations-and a responsibility that all CPA practitioners must share in the business marketplace. To help members manage this process, the AICPA developed an Incident Response Plan available for download at www.aicpa.org/innovation/baas/ewp/incident_responseplan.asp. The plan can be used to help design, develop or adapt your own plan and better prepare you for handling a breach of personal information within your organization.

Research continues to show that consumers have widespread distrust of many organizational business practices, including how companies collect, use and retain personal information. In the online community, for example, a Consumer WebWatch telephone survey of 1,500 U.S...