MACo Policy Associate Drew Jabin today submitted testimony to the House Health and Government Operations Committee in support of HB 38 – State Government – Department of Information Technology – Cybersecurity. This bill would require Secretary of the Department of Information Technology, in consultation with the Attorney General, to develop and promote guidance on consistent cybersecurity strategies for counties, municipal corporations, school systems, and all other governmental entities.

From the MACo Testimony:

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of ransomware attacks on governments across
the United States, including within Maryland. Now, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the needfor increased resources to maintain cybersecurity and digital infrastructure are at an all-time high as
hackers leverage the pandemic to stage cyberattacks.

HB 38 takes an important step in strengthening the relationship between the Maryland Department of
Information Technology and local government information technology officials, without a statemandated change that would preclude local input. This legislation would allow for local government entities to make the final decision on implementation of cybersecurity-related guidance, allowing
counties to maintain their authority while providing a welcome resource.

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2021 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.

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