REMARKS
Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez opens oversight hearing on cybersecurity of New York City agencies
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3 min
Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez opens an oversight hearing to evaluate New York City's cybersecurity landscape and protective measures.
- She highlights the importance of cybersecurity in safeguarding city infrastructure and residents' data.
- Gutiérrez emphasizes the equity issue of cyberattacks disproportionately impacting vulnerable New Yorkers reliant on public services.
- She discusses the need for accountability, improved processes, and investments to address evolving cyber threats faced by city agencies.
- The hearing aims to promote responsible data practices, protect individual privacy rights, and build a secure digital future.
- The Technology Committee will consider bills related to biometric information and geolocation data collection.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
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Thank you.
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Good morning, Buenos Aires.
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Welcome to our oversight hearing on cybersecurity of New York City agencies.
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I'm counsel member, Jennifer Gutierrez, Chair of the Committee on Technology.
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Today, we'll be discussing New York City's cybersecurity infrastructure looking at the past as well as into the future.
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Cybersecurity is a complex and robust field that requires significant investment and unwavering commitment.
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The primary goal of this hearing is to provide a thorough evaluation of our current cybersecurity landscape, emphasizing the journey from past practices, to the present improvements under the current administration.
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The progress that has been made and to outline our forward looking strategies in response to the rapidly evolving cyber threat.
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Cyber security is multifaceted and vital.
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New York City receives threats of violence, hacking our water supply, disruption of essential services, are compromising the information of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable New Yorkers.
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We must continuously address and adapt these challenges ensuring our systems protect the people not only from the threats of violence, but also from those that jeopardize their identities and their livelihoods if such information falls into the wrong hands.
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Cyberattacks on city infrastructure leading to data breaches are not just issues of technology.
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This is also an equity issue.
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The New Yorkers most likely to become victims of a cybersecurity attack on city agencies are the ones most reliant on our public institutions.
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If you receive benefits from HRA, received care from a health and hospital's facility, work for New York City, or have children enrolled in our public schools, that sensitive personal data is what's at stake here.
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To ensure public trust in our systems and operations, accountability and oversight of our cybersecurity protocols, is crucial.
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In 2023, the chief information security officer of New York City Cyber Command reported that the agency receives up to 90,000,000,000 warnings we from across all city agencies resulting in approximately 50 investigations each week.
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Yet the threats remain New York City agencies have faced notable cybersecurity incidents stemming from internal system issues.
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3rd party vendor vulnerability vulnerabilities or improper conduct by agency employees.
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Incidents involving the NYPD the law department, NYC Health And Hospitals, the Department of Finance, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Decas, and New York City public schools in just the past few years highlight the ongoing risks and the need for sophisticated protective measures.
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Our city agencies collect vast amounts of data, including personal biometric and geolocation information.
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It's crucial that off that the office of technology innovation, which commissioner Fraser has emphasized, is the central authority for all tech related matters in New York City takes full responsibility for both successes and failures within our cybersecurity framework.
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In this hearing, we expect full accountability and a clear outline of where further investments, staff and improved processes are necessary.
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Our focus remains on equity, understanding how all residents are being protected from diverse rights.
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To promote responsible data practices, uphold individual privacy rights, and lay the foundation for a more secure, inclusive, and democratic digital future, We we also will be considering the following bills in the technology committee.
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Today, intro 217, sponsored by council member, Shahanna Hanif, and intro 425, sponsored by council member Rivera, both addressing the use of biometric information.
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And additionally, intro 539 sponsored by Council member Justin Brennan addressing collection and sharing of geolocation data.
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I'd like to thank the technology committee staff, policy analyst Charles Kim, legislative counsel Irene Biopsky, my chief of staff on the bestendorf and senior adviser, Anilair, for their tremendous work in putting this hearing together.
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I'd also like to recognize from the tech committee council member holding.
