Legislation passed today by the Senate would create a state Office of Cybersecurity (OCS) within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to set security policies and develop centralized protocols for managing the state’s information technology assets. Senate Bill 5432 , which passed unanimously, was developed in response to a security breach involving Accellion, a third-party vendor used by the Office of the Washington State Auditor, exposing personal information from around 1.6 million unemployment claims filed in 2020. “Cybersecurity is not a luxury, it’s central to government’s obligation to manage data wisely and effectively,” said Sen. Reuven Carlyle (D-Seattle), the bill’s sponsor. “We need to follow global best practices in terms of data management, oversight and technology. This bill strengthens ...
Read MoreAbout Reuven
Sen. Reuven Carlyle represents Washington’s 36th Legislative District (including the Northwest Seattle neighborhoods of South Lake Union, Belltown, Ballard, Queen Anne, Greenwood and Magnolia) in the State Senate. The district is home to the iconic Space Needle as well as the global headquarters of Amazon, Expedia, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and other organizations.
Reuven served in the state House of Representatives from 2009-2016 before being elected to the Senate. A passionate advocate for data-driven solutions, he served as chair of the House Finance Committee and as a budget writer, and passed sweeping legislation ensuring open transparency of the value of tax preferences.
Read Sen. Carlyle’s full biography here.