New cybersecurity center to protect California's medical records
California will establish a new security center to help protect state agencies from cyberattacks that put health information and other data at risk.
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed an executive order following a recent state audit that found California's databases, which house medical records and other personal information, are "vulnerable to unauthorized use, disclosure or disruption" because of a lack of safeguards, according to an article published by the AP/Sacramento Bee.
The audit criticized the Department of Technology for poor security oversight and found that 73 of 77 departments were not in compliance with security standards. "In some cases, the failure or disruption of information systems would jeopardize public health and safety," particularly among agencies involved with health and safety, according to the audit.
The executive action orders the governor's Office of Emergency Services to create the California Cybersecurity Integration Center which will act as a hub for the state's online security.
The center will be comprised of representatives from several local and national departments and will assemble a multi-agency response team to lead cyberthreat assessments and provide warnings of cyberattacks and develop a statewide cybersecurity strategy.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.