For Immediate Release: September 30, 2022

Media Contact: Michelle.Sherwood@sen.ca.gov

BAKERSFIELD, CA – Today, Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) released the following statement after her bill, Senate Bill 892—The Cybersecurity Preparedness Act was signed by Governor Newsom:

“We are living in a time where a bad actor sitting in a chair from the comfort of their home can weaponized our food and water supply,” said Senator Hurtado. “With the cost of over $1.2 billion and with 38,000 cyberattacks in the first six months of 2020 alone, we must do better to protect California’s already limited water supplies and food security.”  

California’s existing cybersecurity defenses leave the food, agricultural and water industries vulnerable to cyberattacks and cyber threats. These cyberattacks threaten the health and safety of Californians who purchase products and utilize services form these companies.

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure sectors, including the food and agriculture sector and water and wastewater sectors. These cyberattacks, predominantly made up of phishing attempts and ransomware, provide intruders with access to technology systems, money, and sensitive data and information. The food and agriculture sector and water and wastewater sectors are particularly at risk for cyberattacks due to a lack of preparedness that stems from limited existing federal and state regulations.

Senator Hurtado’s SB 892 takes action to combat the growing issue of cyber threats and cyberattacks by directing the Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES) and the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC) to develop outreach and funding plans to improve cybersecurity preparedness in the food and water sectors.

About Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senator Melissa Hurtado represents a new generation of Latina leaders, as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Senate and as a product of immigrant parents. Senator Hurtado represents the 14th Senate District and focuses on rural community issues that often go unheard — access to clean air and water, food insecurity and poverty, inequities in environmental policies, agriculture and access to health care. In July 2020, she was appointed to the national Biden Latino Leadership Committee alongside former Labor Secretary and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis – the only two California Latinas on the Committee.

For more information, visit Senator Hurtado’s Website here or find her on Twitter at @Senator_Hurtado

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