SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 7

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2020

INTRODUCED BY

Michael Padilla

 

 

 

 

 

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE TO CONVENE A NEW MEXICO EDUCATION CYBERSECURITY TASK FORCE TO STUDY CYBERSECURITY ISSUES THREATENING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

 

     WHEREAS, state government is committed to securing information online and protecting schools; and

     WHEREAS, web access is key to many technologies used in classrooms as well as administrative systems; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's public schools need a unified vision for tackling cybersecurity; and

     WHEREAS, cyber attacks are a serious and consistent threat to public schools, and appropriate countermeasures must be taken; and

     WHEREAS, securing information sharing between public and private sector organizations is essential to defending the state's online data; and

     WHEREAS, securing critical infrastructure is vital to educational well-being; and

     WHEREAS, the creation of a New Mexico education cybersecurity task force is critical to address the following issues:

          A. what priorities and where funding allocations for cybersecurity measures should be allocated;

          B. how funds would be distributed;

          C. how to share knowledge of the best cybersecurity practices among school districts and charter schools;

          D. how to focus on cybersecurity threat prevention and identify outside resources and education available to public schools and the state;

          E. how to promote student awareness and education of online threats and how best to protect personal information; and

          F. the inclusion of the fundamentals of awareness and assessment for data gathered for each school district; and

     WHEREAS, resources to address cybersecurity issues are available as many cybersecurity vendors and products exist and compete for state business;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative education study committee be requested to convene an education cybersecurity task force to study cybersecurity issues threatening public schools; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the education cybersecurity task force include:

          A. four representatives from school districts;

          B. the secretary of information technology or the secretary's designee;

          C. one representative from the public education department; and

          D. one representative from the public school facilities authority; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the education cybersecurity task force be requested to report its findings, conclusions and recommendations to the governor and the legislature by October 1, 2020; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the chair of the legislative education study committee, the secretary of public education and the director of the public school facilities authority.

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