From the Mark Herring for AG campaign:
Measures enlist the best practices and coordination of public, private sectors in the Commonwealth
Today, Democratic candidate for Attorney General Mark Herring released his plan to protect Virginians’ personal and business data. On a press call this morning, Herring outlined measures that target cyber criminals, safeguard sensitive private data and establish law enforcement partnerships.
“Technological advancements have changed the way we interact, shop, bank and conduct business, but it’s also created the need to safeguard our personal and business information from emerging threats, such as identity theft and other cyber crimes,” said Herring. “When sensitive information is compromised, it brings with it an intolerable emotional and financial toll. As Attorney General, I will work with all stakeholders in Virginia’s burgeoning technology industry to strengthen online security and prosecute cyber criminals, providing peace of mind to folks here in the Commonwealth.”
During the past decade, cyber attacks have increased dramatically. According to a study done by the cyber security company Bit9, over half of all organizations suffered some form of cyber attack during the last year alone, with a majority saying the attacks resulted in a business disruption.
Virginia has a robust presence of federal government civilian, defense and intelligence agencies as well as 70 data security facilities across the state, making the Commonwealth critical to safeguarding private and business data. According to the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development, 70% of the world’s internet traffic passes through Loudoun on a daily basis and the data center industry there has grown 181% since the year 2000.
“Virginia is a burgeoning technology hub that will continue to grow. We need strong leadership from the highest levels of state government to enact enhanced measures that support and safeguard the Commonwealth’s innovation industry. As Attorney General, I will work with the General Assembly to make sure these cyber security provisions become reality so that we can keep Virginia competitive.”
Mark’s plan – found here – includes the following measures:
- Targeting Identity Thieves and Other Cyber Criminals through aggressive prosecution of identity thieves, improving measures to help victims recover their stolen identities and increasing internal cooperation on cyber crimes.
- Securing Private, Sensitive Data and Critical Infrastructure by cracking down on violators that endanger private data, raising awareness through stakeholder collaboration to prevent attacks and fostering a collaborative approach to security. Mark will also work to improve security at the state-level, partner with companies that provide critical services and work to make new resources available to local governments.
- Establishing Innovation and Enforcement Partnerships at Every Level through the promotion of cyber security research and development partnerships and working to expedite new ideas to the market. He will also deploy outside groups as force multipliers and increase cooperation between different levels of government.
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