SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) released the following statement after her bill, Senate Bill 265 (SB 265), directing the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES) and the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC) to prepare a multi-year outreach plan to assist critical infrastructure sectors specifically in efforts to improve cybersecurity, passed the Senate Government Organization Committee on a 13-0 vote:

“Cybersecurity attacks on critical infrastructure threatens not only California’s economy and the livelihood of those dependent on these sectors, it compromises a national and global economy dependent on California to deliver vital goods and services.”

Dr. Tony Coulson, who testified in the support of the bill to committee members, stated that, “California needs the ability to coordinate effectively for cyber-attack responses. A cyber-attack is not just a possibility, but a probability.”

Research has shown an increase in the number of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure sectors, with phishing attempts and ransomware attacks taking several days in some instances to control. Enhanced planning, coordination, and funding will help ensure our state’s critical cybersecurity infrastructure is secure from threats, and prepared to meet the economic needs of Californians.

Senator Melissa Hurtado currently represents the 16th  Senate District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern Counties. Hurtado is Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, and a member of the Environmental Quality, Health, Human Services, and Natural Resources and Water Committees, and Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies. Website of Senator Melissa Hurtado https://sd16.senate.ca.gov/

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