Cyber Liability by state
Wisconsin data breach notification law and cyber insurance
Direct answer
What is Wisconsin's data breach notification law?
Wisconsin's breach notification law (Wis. Stat. sect. 134.98) requires businesses to notify affected residents within a reasonable time, not to exceed 45 days after learning of the breach after a breach of personal information. Wisconsin requires businesses to notify affected residents within 45 days of learning of a breach of unencrypted personal information.
What the statute requires
Wisconsin requires businesses to notify affected residents within 45 days of learning of a breach of unencrypted personal information. Cyber liability insurance typically covers the forensics, notification, and legal review this deadline demands.
- Consumer notification deadline
- Within a reasonable time, not to exceed 45 days after learning of the breach
- Credit bureau notice
- Notify consumer reporting agencies when a breach requires notice to more than 1,000 residents.
- Safe harbor
- Notification is not required if the compromised data was encrypted, redacted, or altered so as to be unreadable, or where the breach does not create a material risk of harm.
- Enforcement
- The statute does not set a specific civil penalty; enforcement generally proceeds under the state's consumer protection authority.
Statutes and sources
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Wisconsin Notice of Unauthorized Acquisition of Personal Information Law
Wis. Stat. sect. 134.98
Regulator: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection . Last verified 2026-07-29 from the official source .
Related Wisconsin compliance pages
Cyber Liability in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
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- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
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- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
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