California Governor Signs Executive Order Aimed At Strengthening Cybersecurity Strategy

Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security

On August 31, California Governor Edmund G. Brown signed Executive Order B-34-15. A response to recent cyber-attacks, this order is intended to bolster the state’s preparedness, to improve inter-agency, cross-sector coordination, and to reduce the likelihood and severity of such attacks. Specifically, the order establishes the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC) and explains that the Cal-CSIC “will work closely with the California State Threat Assessment System and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will facilitate more integrated information sharing and communication with local, state and federal agencies, tribal governments, utilities and other service providers, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations.”

Under the order, the Cal-CSIC will also establish a multi-agency Cyber Incident Response Team, which will be comprised of personnel from agencies, departments, and organizations from the Cal-CSIC. The Response Team will serve as California’s “primary unit to lead cyber threat detection, reporting, and response in coordination with public and private entities across the state.”