2022-07478. Agency Information Collection Activities: Information Collection Renewal; Comment Request; Guidance Regarding Unauthorized Access to Customer Information

AGENCY:

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a continuing information collection as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). In accordance with the requirements of the PRA, the OCC may not conduct or sponsor, and respondents are not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning the renewal of its information collection titled, “Notice Regarding Unauthorized Access to Customer Information.”

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before June 7, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Commenters are encouraged to submit comments by email, if possible. You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

• Email: [e-mail].

• Mail: Chief Counsel's Office, Attention: Comment Processing, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Attention: 1557-0227, 400 7th Street SW, Suite 3E-218, Washington, DC 20219.

• Hand Delivery/Courier: 400 7th Street SW, Suite 3E-218, Washington, DC 20219.

• Fax: [phone].

Instructions: You must include “OCC” as the agency name and “1557-0227” in your comment. In general, the OCC will publish comments on www.reginfo.gov without change, including any business or personal information provided, such as name and address information, email addresses, or phone numbers. Comments received, including attachments and other supporting materials, are part of the public record and subject to public disclosure. Do not include any information in your comment or supporting materials that you consider confidential or inappropriate for public disclosure.

Following the close of this notice's 60-day comment period, the OCC will publish a second notice with a 30-day comment period. You may review comments and other related materials that pertain to this information collection beginning on the date of publication of the second notice for this collection by the method set forth in the next bullet.

• Viewing Comments Electronically: Go to www.reginfo.gov. Hover over the “Information Collection Review” drop down menu. Click on “Information Collection Review.” From the “Currently under Review” drop-down menu, select “Department of Treasury” and then click “submit.” This information collection can be located by searching by OMB control number “1557-0227” or “Guidance Regarding Unauthorized Access to Customer Information.” Upon finding the appropriate information collection, click on the related “ICR Reference Number.” On the next screen, select “View Supporting Statement and Other Documents” and then click on the link to any comment listed at the bottom of the screen.

• For assistance in navigating www.reginfo.gov, please contact the Regulatory Information Service Center at [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Shaquita Merritt, OCC Clearance Officer, [phone], TTY, [phone], Chief Counsel's Office, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW, Suite 3E-218, Washington, DC 20219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the OMB for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. “Collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) to include agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of title 44 requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each revision or extension of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, the OCC is publishing notice of the proposed collection of information set forth in this document.

Title: Guidance Regarding Unauthorized Access to Customer Information.

OMB Control No.: 1557-0227.

Description: Section 501(b) of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. 6801(b)) requires the OCC to establish appropriate standards for national banks relating to administrative, technical, and physical safeguards: (1) To insure the security and confidentiality of customer records and information; (2) to protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of such records; and (3) to protect against unauthorized access to, or use of, such records or information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any customer.

The Interagency Guidelines Establishing Information Security Standards, 12 CFR part 30, appendix B (Security Guidelines), which implement section 501(b), require each entity supervised by the OCC (supervised institution) to consider and adopt a response program, as appropriate, that specifies actions to be taken when the supervised institution suspects or detects that unauthorized individuals have gained access to customer information systems.

The Interagency Guidance on Response Programs for Unauthorized Access to Customer Information and Customer Notice (Breach Notice Guidance),^[1] which interprets the Security Guidelines, states that, at a minimum, a supervised institution's response program should contain procedures for:

(1) Assessing the nature and scope of an incident, and identifying what customer information systems and types of customer information have been accessed or misused;

(2) Notifying its primary Federal regulator as soon as possible when the supervised institution becomes aware of an incident involving unauthorized access to, or use of, sensitive customer information;

(3) Notifying appropriate law enforcement authorities in situations involving Federal criminal violations requiring immediate attention, such as when a reportable violation is congoing, consistent with the OCC's Suspicious Activity Report regulations;

(4) Taking appropriate steps to contain and control the incident in an effort to prevent further unauthorized access to, or use of, customer information, for example, by monitoring, freezing, or closing affected accounts, while preserving records and other evidence; and

(5) Notifying customers when warranted.

The Breach Notice Guidance states that, when a financial institution becomes aware of an incident of unauthorized access to sensitive customer information, the institution should conduct a reasonable investigation to promptly determine the likelihood that the information has been or will be misused. If the institution determines that the misuse of its information about a customer has occurred or is reasonably possible, it should notify the affected customer as soon as possible.

Type of Review: Regular.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 20.

Total Estimated Annual Burden: 720 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on:

(a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the OCC, including whether the information has practical utility;

(b) The accuracy of the OCC's estimate of the burden of the information collection;

(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and

(e) Estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.

Theodore J. Dowd,

Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Footnotes

1.  12 CFR part 30, appendix B, supplement A.