S5007A
Secure Our Data Act - an act to amend the State Technology Law — 2023-05-31 · Calendar #1097
The New York State Senate passed the Secure Our Data Act on Tuesday, advancing cybersecurity protections for state government systems and the personal information they store. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Gonzalez and designated as S5007A (Calendar No. 1097), passed on a 58-0 roll call vote. The legislation requires the Office of Information Technology and other state agencies to establish data protection standards, conduct vulnerability assessments, maintain data inventories, and develop recovery procedures. Sen. Gonzalez cited the urgency of the measure, noting that more than 3,600 cyberattacks have targeted local, state and tribal governments nationwide since 2017, with New York experiencing hundreds of attempted attacks annually. She highlighted specific incidents, including a 2023 attack on the One Brooklyn hospital group in Brooklyn that forced three hospitals to operate on paper charts for weeks, and a 2020 attack on Wyckoff Hospital. She also referenced a separate attack that forced Suffolk County government offline for weeks, disabling email for 10,000 civil service workers. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.
PASSED
Ayes: 58
· Nays: 0
Debate Summary
Sen. Gonzalez argued that the bill addresses a critical cybersecurity threat to New York, citing over 3,600 cyberattacks on government entities nationwide since 2017 and specific incidents affecting hospitals and local governments in New York. She emphasized that cyberattacks have real-world consequences for vulnerable communities, including the One Brooklyn hospital group attack in Brooklyn and Suffolk County's government systems being forced offline. The bill requires the Office of Information Technology and state agencies to establish data protection standards, vulnerability assessments, data inventories, and recovery procedures to protect New Yorkers' personal information.