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A draft article NAFCU sent to help credit unions educate their own members about data security last year was so popular the association shared another version on Tuesday.

Provided via an email from NAFCU Senior Vice President and General Counsel Carrie Hunt, the article can be used to explain the issue in a newsletter, Web page, blog post or other form of communication.

"Data security continues to remain a top priority for NAFCU," Hunt wrote. "We hope that this tool will continue to be useful in helping you educate your members on how credit unions respond and pay for data breaches, even when merchants are responsible."

The draft explains the strong data security standards financial institutions are held to by Congress and federal regulators. It also explains that retailers are not subject to the same standards and that when a breach occurs, the costs of replacing cards and reimbursing accounts are typically left to the credit union, not the retailer responsible for the breach.

"We want you to know that in the event of any breach affecting your accounts, this credit union will always do what we can to make you whole," the sample draft reads. "In the meantime, credit unions around the country are leading the effort to get Congress to pass legislation ensuring merchants and retailers meet a national standard for protecting any of your financial data they collect when you make a purchase and are held liable for breaches that occur on their end."

NAFCU hopes this draft piece will provide a helpful way for credit unions to educate members on how credit unions respond to and pay for data breaches. Meanwhile, the association continues to press Congress for national data security and breach notification standards for retailers.