Rep. Simmons Champions Cybersecurity Bill Through CT House

Press release from CGA:

June 2, 2021

The Connecticut House passed the voluntary cybersecurity bill with unanimous bipartisan support last week. Representative Caroline Simmons (D-Stamford) introduced the legislation to address the ongoing risk of cyberattacks on Connecticut businesses.

HB 6607 works to add safeguards and bolster our cybersecurity defenses to better protect businesses and consumers from cyber threats, by incentivizing businesses voluntarily adoption of nationally recognized cybersecurity best practices. Programs like the NIST framework or CIS controls have been proven to substantially reduce the risk of cyberattacks, in some cases by up to 83%.

"Connecticut took steps yesterday to lead the nation in cybersecurity policy," Rep. Simmons said. "The cyber threat is real, and it's targeting our small businesses who are both unsuspecting and vulnerable due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I was proud to see unanimous bipartisan support of this bill, which only works to protect Connecticut’s infrastructure, utilities, businesses, hospitals, schools, and consumers."

There were over 400 reports of security breaches in CT in 2013, compromising the personal information of over 500,000 CT residents. These include attacks ranging from the Target, Home Depot, and Anthem breaches, to attacks on our state and local government agencies, schools, and small businesses, pointing to the increasing need for better cyber defenses. The US Federal Trade Commission received 1.4 million reports of identity theft last year, double the number from 2019, and every minute, $2.9 million is lost to cybercrime, with the average cost of a data breach being $3.86 million.

Upon passage in the House, HB 6607 will be debated and voted on in the Senate. Rep. Simmons says this bill will set the standard for cybersecurity across the nation and incentivize adoption from other states.

This press release was produced by CGA. The views expressed here are the author's own.