STORRS, CT (WFSB) – A bill that incentivizes businesses to adopt cybersecurity standards was signed by the governor on Thursday.
The Act Incentivizing the Adoption of Cybersecurity Standards for Businesses goes into effect on Oct. 1.
The Act Incentivizing the Adoption of Cybersecurity Standards for Businesses goes into effect on Oct. 1. Read the entire bill here.
Gov. Lamont held a signing ceremony at the University of Connecticut Tech Park in Storrs.
Supported by the state’s business community, Lamont said the legislation protects businesses from punitive damages if personal or restricted information is improperly accessed, maintained, communicated, or processed, so long as such businesses have adopted and adhered to appropriate cybersecurity measures. It does not diminish other important legal rights and actions that individuals and businesses can take after a cyber breach.
During the ceremony, Lamont also announced an $11 million investment to support the State of Connecticut’s enhanced cybersecurity efforts, with an initial $8.2 million on the agenda for the State Bond Commission at its upcoming meeting.
“This bipartisan bill is just another reason Connecticut is becoming a better place to do business every day,” Lamont said. “Bills like this one meet two important goals – ensuring that our state is operating in the most business friendly ways, and also improving the security of consumers’ data. Further, the state’s investments in cybersecurity and the hiring of our first Chief Information Security Officer will help the state improve its cybersecurity posture, which will improve the resilience of state services and protect our residents and businesses.”
Earlier this year, Governor Lamont announced the launch of a year-long process of building a new information technology organization within state government that will centralize the coordination of the state’s IT resources by the Department of Administrative Services, which includes the creation of Connecticut’s first Chief Information Security Officer, a position that has been filled by Jeff Brown. That process will establish an organization capable of delivering modern IT solutions to support state agencies and the public.
“Across the globe, cybersecurity risks continue to rise,” Brown said. “Connecticut is investing in cybersecurity and technology in new ways to protect our residents and businesses. We are bringing our statewide information technology team together into one, collaborative organization that will help us identify and deter cybersecurity incidents faster, bring everyone onto streamlined platforms, and ultimately protect more private information.”
Gloss