ATLANTA (June 21, 2023) | Recently the University System of Georgia and several federal agencies were the victim of a massive cyber attack. Russian hackers have claimed responsibility for the attack which exploited a vulnerability in a program called “MOVEit,” a popular tool for securely transferring data.
Senator Jason Anavitarte (R – Dallas), Chairman of the Senate Study Committee on the Creation of a Georgia Cybersecurity Force and author of legislation to ban CCP malware applications like TikTok on state government networks offered the following statement on the attack:
“This attack on our government systems is a wake-up call that American computer networks are constantly at risk from cyber-attack. Georgians in both the public and private sector should use this as a learning experience and ensure all of their computers, phones and tablets have the latest security updates. I also call on the Georgia House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and immediately pass legislation to create a Georgia Cyber Command.”
During the 2023 Legislative Session, Sen. Anavitarte introduced the Georgia Cyber Command Act as Senate Bill 97. The Georgia Cyber Command Act passed the Senate with bipartisan support but it has not yet been considered for a vote before the House of Representatives.
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Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Chair of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents Senate District 31 which includes Paulding and Polk Counties. He can be reached at 404.656.0085 or at Jason.anavitarte@senate.ga.gov