The bill will expand CAL-SIC assistance to K-12 schools. CAL-SIC is a state cybersecurity agency that has already worked with higher education systems such as the University of California.
The legislation was introduced by Assemblymember Diane Papan, a San Mateo Democrat. The bill passed the state senate unanimously last month.
Papan said in a statement that California “must develop safeguards to protect critical data and safeguard the privacy of students, families and staff -- particularly from nefarious actors willing to disrupt public education and put our communities at risk."
She added that current law fails to offer the support school districts and county offices of education the resources needed to defend against cyber threats and mitigate any successful attacks.
The Los Angeles Unified School District had 2000 students' information stolen by hackers in 2022, in which a ransom was sought with the threat of releasing the stolen information. The district, following FBI guidance, did not pay, and the information was released on the dark web.
In a separate incident that year, the Glenn County School District was the victim of a ransomware attack that led to multiple-day school closures there.
Last year, cyberattacks against the education sector increased by 36 percent from the previous year, according to Papan.
