Following up on the recent release by the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) of an updated Proposed Second Amendment to its “first-in-the-nation” Cybersecurity Regulation, 23 NYCRR Part 500 (Proposed Second Amendment released June 28, 2023), it is not too late for companies to submit comments on the most recent version of the proposed changes from NYDFS.  Comments are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on August 14.

As background, the NYDFS Cybersecurity Regulation took effect in March 2017, including a robust set of cybersecurity requirements as well as a 72-hour incident notification requirement for NYDFS licensees.  After releasing an initial draft of a proposed amendment on July 29, 2022, NYDFS released the first version of a Proposed Second Amendment to the regulation in November 2022 with a public comment period that closed on January 9, 2023.  The changes proposed in November 2022 included several significant updates to the regulation with respect to:

  • Increased cybersecurity governance and board oversight requirements;
  • The creation of “classes” of companies subject to different requirements;
  • The introduction of new reporting requirements for privileged account compromise, ransomware deployment, and “extortion” payments; and
  • The enumeration of factors to be considered in enforcement decisions, among others. 

After reviewing the comments received on these proposed changes, NYDFS released an updated version of the Proposed Second Amendment on June 28, 2023 with adjustments made in response to these comments.  The revisions reflect adjustments rather than substantial changes to the prior version, and include among other things: 

  • Clarifying that a CISO must be a “qualified individual” responsible for an entity’s cybersecurity program and policy (Section 500.1(c));
  • Narrowing the definition of “privileged accounts” that will be subject to some of the new programmatic and reporting requirements (Section 500.1(m));
  • Specifying that  newly required annual independent audits of cybersecurity programs for “Class A” companies can be conducted by internal or external auditors that meet certain requirements (Section 500.1(g));
  • Clarifying that the board must exercise effective oversight over an entity’s cybersecurity risk management but eliminating the requirement that the board have “sufficient expertise and knowledge” (Section 500.4); and
  • Requiring companies to conduct a “root cause analysis” as part of incident response (Section 500.16).

As noted above, the updated version is subject to an additional comment period, and stakeholders may submit comments before 5:00 p.m. ET on August 14, 2023.  Comments should be sent by email to cyberamendment@dfs.ny.gov or by mail to the New York State Department of Financial Services c/o Cybersecurity Division, Attn: Joanne Berman, 1 State Street Plaza, Floor 19, New York, NY, 10004.

Photo of Micaela McMurrough Micaela McMurrough

Micaela McMurrough serves as co-chair of Covington’s global and multi-disciplinary Technology Group, as co-chair of the Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) initiative. In her practice, she has represented clients in high-stakes antitrust, patent, trade secrets, contract, and securities litigation, and other…

Micaela McMurrough serves as co-chair of Covington’s global and multi-disciplinary Technology Group, as co-chair of the Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) initiative. In her practice, she has represented clients in high-stakes antitrust, patent, trade secrets, contract, and securities litigation, and other complex commercial litigation matters, and she regularly represents and advises domestic and international clients on cybersecurity and data privacy issues, including cybersecurity investigations and cyber incident response. Micaela has advised clients on data breaches and other network intrusions, conducted cybersecurity investigations, and advised clients regarding evolving cybersecurity regulations and cybersecurity norms in the context of international law.

In 2016, Micaela was selected as one of thirteen Madison Policy Forum Military-Business Cybersecurity Fellows. She regularly engages with government, military, and business leaders in the cybersecurity industry in an effort to develop national strategies for complex cyber issues and policy challenges. Micaela previously served as a United States Presidential Leadership Scholar, principally responsible for launching a program to familiarize federal judges with various aspects of the U.S. national security structure and national intelligence community.

Prior to her legal career, Micaela served in the Military Intelligence Branch of the United States Army. She served as Intelligence Officer of a 1,200-member maneuver unit conducting combat operations in Afghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star.

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Photo of Caleb Skeath Caleb Skeath

Caleb Skeath helps companies manage their most complex and high‑stakes cybersecurity and data security challenges, combining deep regulatory insight, technical fluency, and practical judgment informed by leading incident response matters.

Caleb Skeath advises in‑house legal and security teams on the full lifecycle of…

Caleb Skeath helps companies manage their most complex and high‑stakes cybersecurity and data security challenges, combining deep regulatory insight, technical fluency, and practical judgment informed by leading incident response matters.

Caleb Skeath advises in‑house legal and security teams on the full lifecycle of cybersecurity and privacy risk—from governance and preparedness through incident response, regulatory engagement, and follow‑on litigation. A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), he is trusted by clients across highly regulated and technology‑driven sectors to provide clear, practical guidance at moments when legal judgment, technical understanding, and business realities must be aligned.

Caleb has deep experience leading and overseeing responses to complex cybersecurity incidents, including ransomware, data theft and extortion, business email compromise, advanced persistent threats and state-sponsored threat actors, insider threats, and inadvertent data loss. He regularly helps in‑house counsel structure and manage investigations under attorney‑client privilege; coordinate with internal IT, information security, and executive stakeholders; and engage with forensic firms, crisis communications providers, insurers, and law enforcement. A central focus of his practice is advising on notification obligations and strategy, including the application of U.S. federal and state data breach notification laws and requirements along with contractual notification obligations, and helping companies make defensible, risk‑informed decisions about timing, scope, and messaging.

In addition to his work responding to cybersecurity incidents, Caleb works closely with clients’ legal, technical, and compliance teams on cybersecurity governance, regulatory compliance, and pre‑incident planning. He has extensive experience drafting and reviewing cybersecurity policies, incident response plans, and vendor contract provisions; supervising cybersecurity assessments under privilege; and advising on training and tabletop exercises designed to prepare organizations for real‑world incidents. His work frequently involves translating evolving regulatory expectations into actionable guidance for in‑house counsel, including in highly-regulated sectors such as the financial sector (including compliance with NYDFS cybersecurity regulations, the Computer Security Incident Notification Rule, and GLBA guidelines and guidance) and the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector (including compliance with GxP standards, FDA medical device guidance, and HIPAA).

Caleb’s practice also addresses evolving and emerging areas of cybersecurity and data security law, including advising clients on compliance with the Department of Justice’s Data Security Program, CISA‑related security requirements for restricted transactions, and preparation for new regulatory regimes such as the CCPA cybersecurity audit requirements and federal incident reporting obligations. He regularly counsels clients on how artificial intelligence and connected devices intersect with cybersecurity, privacy, and consumer protection risk, and how to support innovation while managing regulatory exposure.

Caleb also has extensive experience helping clients navigate high-stakes cybersecurity-related inquiries from the Federal Trade Commission, state Attorneys General, and other sector-specific regulators, including incident-specific inquiries as well as broader inquiries related to an entity’s cybersecurity practices and the security of product or service offerings. For companies that have entered into cybersecurity-related settlement agreements with regulators, Caleb has helped guide them through compliance with settlement agreement obligations, including navigating required third-party assessments and strategically responding to cybersecurity incidents that can arise while a company is subject to a settlement agreement. Caleb also routinely works hand-in-hand with colleagues in Covington’s class action litigation, commercial litigation, and insurance recovery practices to prepare for and successfully navigate incident-related disputes that can devolve into litigation.

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Photo of Rachel Sang Rachel Sang

Rachel Sang is an associate in the Litigation and Investigations Practice Group in the New York office. She represents clients in commercial litigation, internal investigations, regulatory inquiries, and cybersecurity incident response.

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