Metro East Sun

All state employees will undergo cybersecurity training on an annual basis under a measure Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law recently, according to a press release from chief co-sponsor Rep. Bob Pritchard (R-Hinckley).

House Bill 2371 puts Illinois at the forefront of cyber-threat mitigation and makes it the 15th state to require such training, Pritchard said in the release. Through the mandated annual training, which will begin in January, state employees will learn about identity theft, phishing scams, spyware and data breaches, according to Pritchard’s release.

Pritchard describes cybersecurity as a public safety issue and argues that defending state systems necessitates employee resiliency. The training programs will provide employees with tools and knowledge to understand the threats that the state faces, as well as their role in countering those threats, the release said.

Rep. Bob Pritchard (R-Hinckley)

Rauner signed the bill at the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT), which he created via executive order earlier this year to ensure data protection in the state and promote a strong data infrastructure as Illinois continues to incorporate new technologies.