WHEREAS, Over the last three decades, the Internet has had a phenomenal impact on all parts of society—an open and free cyberspace has been used to promote political and social inclusion worldwide, which has empowered communities and individuals to break down barriers, has allowed collaboration and sharing of information and ideas across the globe, and has provided a forum for freedom of expression and exercise of fundamental rights; and

WHEREAS, Cyberspace touches nearly every part of our daily lives; personal relationships and social interactions, schools, hospitals, economies, governments, and infrastructure critical to public safety and national security depend on information and communication technology working seamlessly; and

WHEREAS, The reliance on constant connectivity has led to revolutions in medicine, energy, finance, and technology and has improved our society, but it has also introduced new risks, especially to our finances, identity, and privacy; and

WHEREAS, For new connected technologies to take off, trust and confidence in the security of those technologies is critically important. However, an overwhelming majority of Californians have reported avoiding disclosing personal information online because of security concerns; and

WHEREAS, Recent years have seen that while the digital world brings enormous benefits, it is also vulnerable, with a recent study citing that between 2012–16, the California Attorney General’s office received reports on 657 data breaches, affecting a total of over 49 million records of Californians; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, 178 breaches put over 24 million Californians records at risk, meaning that nearly three in five Californians were victims of a data breach in 2015 alone; and

WHEREAS, Cyber security incidents, be it intentional or accidental, are increasing at an alarming pace and could disrupt the supply of essential services we take for granted such as water, health care, electricity, or mobile services; and

WHEREAS, Threats can have different origins, including criminal, politically motivated, terrorist, or state-sponsored attacks as well as natural disasters and unintentional mistakes; and

WHEREAS, National Cyber Security Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Cyber Security Division within the United States Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance, is observed each October since its inception in 2004 nationwide; and

WHEREAS, National Cyber Security Awareness Month is a campaign designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners through events and initiatives to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security, provide them with tools and resources needed to stay safe online, and increase the resiliency of the nation in the event of a cyber incident; and

WHEREAS, The State of California recognizes the critical importance of the fifteenth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month; now, therefore, be it