BAY AREA COUNCIL ADVOCATES FOR CYBER SECURITY LEGISLATION

At the request of its Cyber Security Committee, the Bay Area Council endorsed Assembly Bill 2200 authored by Assemblyman John Perez. This bill establishes until January 1, 2019, a 12-member California Cyber Security Commission, within the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, as an advisory body to discuss strategies for improving the state’s cyber security and cyber response capabilities.

According to published reports cyber-attacks on the state computer systems average about four and a half a day. Cyber-attacks occur at just about every state agency or department, from the DMV to Social Services, Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board to California’s Public Health Department, California’s Governor’s office to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The departments with the most data breaches: Social Services Department (934), Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (671) and the DMV (592). The state estimates the total cost of these incidents to be at least $3.8 million and the cost to correct these data breaches to be at least $5.1 million.

The Bay Area Council has been leading the charge to establish a robust cyber security infrastructure in California. To engage in the Council’s cyber security work, contact Senior Policy Advisor Matt Gardner.