Kutak Rock LLP attorneys Elise Dieterich and Nicole Pszczolkowski, based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, authored an article in the August 2014 issue of The Corporate Counselor, titled “Collecting Social Security Numbers,” discussing the use of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The article explains the restrictions on collection, use and disclosure of SSNs, stating that a number of federal laws and most states' laws place restrictions on the handling of SSNs by businesses. Dieterich and Pszczolkowski outline a framework for businesses to ensure compliance with various state laws. This includes evaluating when and how businesses should collect SSNs, and how to protect them properly. The article also touches on other data elements that present a privacy and data security risk, such as ZIP codes and cell phone numbers.

Read Collecting Social Security Numbers Reprinted with permission from The Corporate Counselor.

Dieterich is a partner at Kutak Rock and has over 25 years of experience advising clients on a wide range of matters affected by government regulation, concentrating during the past 15 years on telecommunications, privacy and data security matters. She also has extensive experience as a litigator and mediator. Dieterich is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP-US), credentialed by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Pszczolkowski is a litigation associate at Kutak Rock and practices primarily in the area of complex commercial litigation and general civil litigation. Her experience includes the defense of class action and single-plaintiff litigation matters involving consumer protection statutes, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights laws, contracts and employment issues.