The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was passed in response to accounting scandals at Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco. It established new regulations and oversight for public company boards, management, and accounting firms. SOX requires companies to maintain records for audits for 5 years, and penalties include fines and imprisonment for destroying or covering up records to obstruct investigations. While it has increased investor protection, some argue it places too high a cost burden on small businesses.