A bill addressing improvements to cybersecurity in the Land of Enchantment passed through the state Senate and now heads to the House for review. “It’s going to be something that leads the country in terms of protecting New Mexicans,” said State Sen. Michael Padilla (D), who believes cybersecurity is a pressing issue in New Mexico and that there are multiple factors at risk. “Our tax dollars, our social security cards, any number of things,” Padilla said.Last January, Albuquerque Public Schools went through cyber attacks they say they “never experienced before,” Padilla said.Related to: Parents frustrated over APS cyber attackSenate Bill 280 would create the Office of Cybersecurity to tighten up the state’s cyber infrastructure and prevent vicious cyber-attacks and incidents from happening, Padilla said.“This is going to save the state of New Mexico hundreds of millions of dollars,” Padilla said. However, not all lawmakers are on board with the bill. “Initiatives like this are just doomed to fail,” said State Sen.Cliff Pirtle (R).He said the bill would expand government, creating more work for the 70-plus departments already managing cybersecurity. “I think we really need to take a 21st-century approach to all IT, all security operating systems across the state,” Pirtle said. Padilla says more than $15 million per year would be invested to help create this Office of Cybersecurity — and set standards departments would need to follow. Padilla says if his bill gets support, it will lead to the state being better off and better protected. “They will however have to meet a set of minimum standards and those minimum standards will be established to ensure that all data integrity for the state of New Mexico is protected,” Padilla said.
A bill addressing improvements to cybersecurity in the Land of Enchantment passed through the state Senate and now heads to the House for review.
“It’s going to be something that leads the country in terms of protecting New Mexicans,” said State Sen. Michael Padilla (D), who believes cybersecurity is a pressing issue in New Mexico and that there are multiple factors at risk.
“Our tax dollars, our social security cards, any number of things,” Padilla said.
Last January, Albuquerque Public Schools went through cyber attacks they say they “never experienced before,” Padilla said.
Related to: Parents frustrated over APS cyber attack
Senate Bill 280 would create the Office of Cybersecurity to tighten up the state’s cyber infrastructure and prevent vicious cyber-attacks and incidents from happening, Padilla said.
“This is going to save the state of New Mexico hundreds of millions of dollars,” Padilla said.
However, not all lawmakers are on board with the bill.
“Initiatives like this are just doomed to fail,” said State Sen.Cliff Pirtle (R).
He said the bill would expand government, creating more work for the 70-plus departments already managing cybersecurity.
“I think we really need to take a 21st-century approach to all IT, all security operating systems across the state,” Pirtle said.
Padilla says more than $15 million per year would be invested to help create this Office of Cybersecurity — and set standards departments would need to follow.
Padilla says if his bill gets support, it will lead to the state being better off and better protected.
“They will however have to meet a set of minimum standards and those minimum standards will be established to ensure that all data integrity for the state of New Mexico is protected,” Padilla said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
