Several cybersecurity bills signed in Maryland

Bills aimed at bolstering statewide cybersecurity have been signed into law by Gov. Larry Hogan amid increasingly prevalent cyberattacks, the Associated Press reports. Local governments, health departments, and school systems across the state will be given increased resources for cybersecurity improvements by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency under one approved measure. Another signed bill would establish cybersecurity reporting requirements for state and local agencies. Hogan has also approved legislation that would increase cybersecurity requirements for public and private water or sewage systems. "Today we are signing into law bipartisan legislation to continue solidifying our standing as the cyber capital of America, and further strengthen our infrastructure to protect Marylanders against cyberattacks," said Hogan. The bills come after nearly $570 million in cybersecurity and information technology upgrade spending was approved by state lawmakers. "Now, everything is electronic: our drinking water, our transportation, our public safety, our education, our financial systems this is the governments responsibility to maintain. We have to make sure that our Marylanders day-to-day routines are not disrupted, and I think these three bills in combination with the $570 million in the 2023 budget will get us a long ways toward achieving those goals," said state Sen. Katie Fry Hester.