Sen. Needleman Joins Passage of Bills Supporting Studies of Federal, State Statutes
Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) joined the Senate in passing two bills supporting studies of statutes that impact the state. These include the federal Title IX statute, which prevents discrimination in education on the basis of sex, and the state’s Title 7 statute, which involves the responsibilities of municipal officials. The first study would involve the feasibility of assessing all municipal recreation areas and facilities used for organized sports and public school sports to ensure equity of access for male and female students; the second would seek to update roles largely seen as out-of-date.
“These studies will have valuable benefits in our state,” said Sen. Needleman. “In a state where we are perpetually proud of the UConn women’s basketball team, we should be inspired to ensure all female students have the same access and opportunities to play sports with the resources enjoyed by male students. A potential statewide review of resources available under Title IX would go a long way to support that.”
“Additionally,” Sen. Needleman said, “reviewing and updating Title 7 of the state statutes would provide vital new understanding of the roles and responsibilities of town officials. Many clerks and other town staff feel current statutes are well out-of-date; a review of Title 7 could add better clarity and streamline municipal offices statewide.”
Senate Bill 327, “An Act Establishing A Working Group To Study The Implementation Of Federal Title IX Protections For All Municipal Recreation Areas And School Sports Facilities,” would see a group convened to see if an overarching statewide review of municipal recreation and sports facilities, to ensure the equitability of youth athletic resources for both male and female students, would be viable. Such a study, if determined to be viable, would provide means for the state to identify and improve situations where students are treated separately in the availability and quality of sports resources. This is especially notable with the context of controversies like the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team reaching a settlement with U.S. Soccer to ensure fair compensation for their work in righting inequalities; a review of this level would provide much greater assurance that all students are given the same opportunities to succeed.”
Senate Bill 324, “An Act Establishing A Task Force To Study Title 7 Of The General Statutes,” would see a working group put in place to study Title 7 in state statutes, which involves the responsibilities and duties of town officials such as town clerks. In testimony, the Connecticut Council of Small Towns and Connecticut Town Clerks Association noted that these statutes are largely out of date, and this review would allow for recommendations to streamline municipal processes and provide clarity on the roles and responsibilities of certain positions.
Sen. Cohen Leads Passage of Bill Requiring More Detailed Notification of Herbicide Use Around Lakes and Ponds
Sen. Cohen Leads Passage of Bill Requiring More Detailed Notification of Herbicide Use Around Lakes and Ponds
HARTFORD – State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) used her position as Senate Chair of the Environment Committee to help pass a bill in the state Senate this evening that requires anyone applying pesticides or herbicides to a lake or pond to let every abutting property owner or tenant know personally of that application, and to specify when the chemicals will be applied, rather than simply post a general notice in a local newspaper with a range of possible application dates – as is current law.
Senate Bill 116, “AN ACT CONCERNING NOTIFICATION OF PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS NEAR LAKES AND PONDS,” passed the Senate this evening on a bipartisan and unanimous 32-0 vote and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The bill prohibits blanket notices for pesticide applications near lakes and ponds, which fail to enable people to know exactly when pesticides and herbicides will actually be applied – and to require the party contracting with the pesticide applicator to receive notice of when such pesticides will be applied. Notices can be by telephone, mail or in-person, and include date of the application.
“This bill came out of situation in my district where we found that pesticide notifications were running in local papers with potential application dates that effectively lasted all summer long,” Sen. Cohen said. “These blanket notifications are unfair and prevent planning and use of our waterways. This sent up a red flag to me that we really need to fine-tune our pesticide and herbicide application laws, and so this proposal was born.”
The bill was proposed after some of Senator Cohen’s constituents expressed concern and requested more timely information about the application of various herbicides – some of them possibly carcinogenic – being applied to nearby waterways to kill invasive aquatic plants, but with a possible range of dates that effectively stretched across any day during the summer. Often with such applications, people are warned against swimming fishing or boating on those waters for a certain period of time.
Free Small Business Internet Education Courses Pass Senate
Free Small Business Internet Education Courses Pass Senate
Sen. Needleman Joins Senate Democrats In Approving Business-Friendly Seminars
Today, the Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 3, legislation that will lead to the development of online seminar courses supporting small businesses in developing and expanding online infrastructure for their businesses. State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) joined Senate Democrats in leading the vote, passing a bill that stands as a major priority this year, intended to support small businesses in their recovery from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Small businesses are a vital focal point of our economy and we need to aid them in competing in the modern marketplace. This bill does that,” said Sen. Needleman. “It creates educational courses for small businesses to improve their skills and knowledge in using the internet to better compete in the market. Better yet, those courses will be offered to employees of those businesses for free, either online or at state community colleges. This is a great step forward to aid them in getting online or improving their online presence at a time where that’s more valuable than ever.”
Senate Bill 3, “An Act Requiring The Board of Regents For Higher Education To Develop Seminar Programs For Small Businesses,” would see the Board of Regents develop programs designed to aid small businesses with 25 or fewer employees adapt to changing business environments. The programs would offer electronic commerce, social media, cybersecurity and virtual currency courses, among others, and would be available to small businesses by September 1.
Through the programs, up to two small business employees would be able to enroll at no cost in up to five seminar programs, or any courses within seminar programs, at the Northwestern Connecticut Community College Entrepreneurial Center or the Werth Innovation and Entrepreneurial Center at Housatonic Community College.
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities reported that the seminars would be offered online and in-person for businesses.
Since 2014, worldwide e-commerce sales have more than tripled in value, with e-commerce growing sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media, online platforms and internet presence are all more valuable to market success than they were a decade ago. At the same time, 75% of small businesses experienced a decline of at least 25% in revenue from 2019 to 2020. The Small Business Administration reported that tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of small businesses were lost just at the beginning of the pandemic, with many still struggling to make full recoveries.
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association testified in support of this bill, noting that many small businesses do not have the ability to invest time and resources into researching online practices. The CBIA said in testimony that it strongly supports the creation of these seminars to aid small businesses in easily accessing reputable material, specifically citing the advantages that cybersecurity training could provide in protecting business and customer data.
This legislation follows similar programs in other states; for example, several North Carolina community colleges currently offer free seminars for small businesses to aid job creation and retention.
The bill passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a unanimous vote. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
Sen. Osten Leads Passage of Two Police-Related Bills in State Senate
Sen. Osten Leads Passage of Two Police-Related Bills in State Senate
HARTFORD – State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) used her position as senate Chair of the Public Safety Committee to help pass two bills in the state Senate today that apply to police: expanding the reach of the hate crimes unit within the State Police, and allowing police officers to wear a religious head covering as a part of their uniform.
Both bills passed on an overwhelmingly bipartisan and unanimous – or nearly unanimous – basis. The bills now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Senate Bill 217 establishes a hate crimes investigative unit within the State Police and requires that unit to “prevent and detect” crimes based on bigotry or bias against a race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. The bill also broadens reporting by local police of bigotry- or bias-motivated crimes.
The bill was supported at its February 25 public hearing with testimony from the State Police commissioner, the state Division of Criminal Justice, and by Police Chief Keith Mello, who is the Chairman of the Police Officers Standards and Training Council.
The FBI recently reported that there were 7,700 hates crimes committed in America in 2020 – the highest number since 2008. Hate crimes targeting people because of their race made up 62 % of all incidents.
“Connecticut currently doesn’t have in place a uniform system of investigating hate crimes, nor any real-time, consistent sharing of information of hate crime investigations among law enforcement in the state,” Sen. Osten said. “This bill will ensure that we are providing our law enforcement with the resources and tools necessary to properly monitor, investigate and communicate with hates crimes investigations. By passing this legislation, we are helping out law enforcement better protect the residents of this state.”
Senate Bill 133 requires each law enforcement unit in Connecticut to adopt or amend its policy by October 1 to allow police officers to wear religious head coverings that correspond to their religious beliefs while on duty, except where the unit requires its officers to use tight-fitting protective headgear.
“I’ve heard from members of the Sikh community locally – and I know this is an issue for them nationally and internationally as well – that the headdress is a part of their faith, and it should not be a limiting factor in any employment, including police work. I think the same can be said of some other religions as well,” Sen. Osten said. “Fortunately, police and military commanders agree. As a matter of fact, West Point just had its first Sikh graduate in 2020. So obviously this is already working at the highest levels of self-defense in our nation. It can work in local police departments as well.”
The bill was also supported by Norwich City Council member Swaranjit Singh Khalsa, who spoke in favor of the bill on behalf of Sikh Community members at the Public Safety Committee’s February 18 public hearing.
“As you know, the Sikh Turban known as ‘dastaar’ is an integral part of the Sikh faith that signifies a commitment to uphold dignity, freedom, social justice, and equality for all. Even though after 9/11 Sikhs have been victims of many hate crimes because of ignorance and lack of understanding about Sikhism and its articles of faith most prominently Sikh turban ‘dastaar’ but despite many stereotypes, Sikhs have upheld their commitment towards their faith and society,” Singh Khalsa said. “This bill will not just help us break those barriers in society created by ignorance but will help our police departments to hire people from various faith backgrounds that represent our state’s diverse population.”
Sen. Anwar Hopeful as Co-Sponsored Bill Allowing Police Officers Increased Religious Freedom Again Passes Senate
Sen. Anwar Hopeful as Co-Sponsored Bill Allowing Police Officers Increased Religious Freedom Again Passes Senate
Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) was hopeful as the State Senate passed legislation he co-sponsored that will provide police officers statewide with increased religious freedom of expression regarding their uniforms. Similar legislation passed the Senate in 2021, but was never called for a vote in the House.
“I’m hopeful that this legislation will pass the House and be made law this year,” said Sen. Anwar. “Many police officers who are devout may have situations where they must choose between following their traditions of choice or wearing their assigned uniforms. This bill provides them with the religious freedom they need to remain respectful of traditions while protecting their communities. I’m especially encouraged by its potential to improve community relations in some parts of the state. I’m proud to have co-sponsored it.”
Senate Bill 133, “An Act Allowing Police Officers To Wear Religious Head Coverings As Part of a Police Uniform,” would require law enforcement units to permit a police officer to wear a religious head covering in accordance with their religious beliefs while on duty and wearing uniforms, unless they must wear tight-fitting protective headgear as part of that headgear. The legislation will benefit individuals in religious communities such as the Sikhs, who traditionally wear head coverings in observing their faith.
The bill now goes to the House for further consideration. It previously passed the Public Safety and Security Committee by a unanimous vote.
Sen. Anwar Joins Colleagues as Bill Creating State Police Hate Crime Task Force Again Passes Senate
Sen. Anwar Joins Colleagues as Bill Creating State Police Hate Crime Task Force Again Passes Senate
Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined his colleagues in the State Senate as they again worked to pass legislation creating a hate crime task force in the state police. In recent years, reports of hate crimes have grown in Connecticut and nationally; having a unit specifically dedicated to investigating them in the state police will improve awareness of and response to crimes of hatred and bias. In 2021, similar legislation passed in the Senate but was never called to a vote in the House; this bill is based on that legislation.
“We continue to see the terrible trend of hate crimes being reported more frequently, year after year, with more than 100 reported in 2020 according to FBI statistics,” said Sen. Anwar. “These discriminatory acts cannot be accepted. We must provide state police with necessary resources to investigate and react to these crimes, bringing perpetrators to justice. This is especially pertinent when it comes to criminal activity by extremists and extremist groups. I’m hopeful this legislation will become law this year.”
Senate Bill 217, “An Act Establishing A Hate Crimes Investigative Unit Within The Division of State Police And Requiring Development of a Reporting System, Best Practices and a Model Investigation Policy For Law Enforcement Units Regarding Hate Crimes,” would create a Hate Crimes Investigative Unit within state police; require development of a reporting system, best practices and a model investigation policy for law enforcement units regarding hate crimes; establish time requirements for the reporting of hate crimes by law enforcement to the Hate Crimes Investigative Unit; and designate the head of the unit as a member of the State-Wide Hate Crimes Advisory Council.
The Hate Crimes Investigative Unit would be responsible for working to prevent and detect certain crimes based on bigotry or bias against race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. It would also need to compile, monitor, analyze and share data on such crimes.
The bill also broadens reporting of bigotry or bias-motivated crimes by local law enforcement, who would need to report on the broader list of crimes covered by the bill and do so using a reporting system developed by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council.
According to FBI statistics, Connecticut saw 101 hate crimes reported in 2020, the most recent year in which data has been compiled. Of those hate crimes, 61 were directed against an individual’s race, ethnicity, or ancestry, 17 involved an individual’s religion, 15 involved sexual orientation and the remaining 8 involved disability or multiple biases.
The bill now moves to the House for further consideration. It previously passed the Public Safety and Security Committee unanimously in March.
Senate Passes Bill to Assist Small Businesses Competing in Virtual Marketplace
Senate Passes Bill to Assist Small Businesses Competing in Virtual Marketplace
Bill allows small businesses to utilize free seminars at community colleges
Today, the Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 3, legislation that will lead to the development of online seminar courses supporting small businesses in developing and expanding online infrastructure for their businesses. State Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford), Senate Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, led Senate Democrats in leading the vote, passing a bill that stands as a major priority this year, intended to support small businesses in their recovery from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Small businesses are vital to our economy and play an important role in our local communities,” said Sen. Slap. “They deserve aid in the modern economic climate, where e-commerce plays a more important role than ever. I’m proud to lead the Senate’s passage of this legislation, which will provide free educational courses to small businesses and help them better utilize the internet as a tool and resource. It will benefit them directly. I appreciate Senator Looney’s foresight in introducing this bill to the Legislature.”
“As a part of the Senate Democratic agenda, Senate Bill 3 is a critical part of our work this legislative session to help Connecticut continue to rebound from the impact of COVID-19,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney. “Expanding debt-free community college to support free online commerce courses will help our local stores better reach customers after the pandemic disrupted their regular way of business.”
Senate Bill 3, “An Act Requiring The Board of Regents For Higher Education To Develop Seminar Programs For Small Businesses,” would see the Board of Regents develop programs designed to aid small businesses with 25 or fewer employees adapt to changing business environments. The programs would offer electronic commerce, social media, cybersecurity and virtual currency courses, among others, and would be available to small businesses by September 1.
Through the programs, up to two small business employees would be able to enroll at no cost in up to five seminar programs, or any courses within seminar programs, at the Northwestern Connecticut Community College Entrepreneurial Center or the Werth Innovation and Entrepreneurial Center at Housatonic Community College.
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities reported that the seminars would be offered online and in-person for businesses.
Since 2014, worldwide e-commerce sales have more than tripled in value, with e-commerce growing sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media, online platforms and internet presence are all more valuable to market success than they were a decade ago. At the same time, 75% of small businesses experienced a decline of at least 25% in revenue from 2019 to 2020. The Small Business Administration reported that tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of small businesses were lost just at the beginning of the pandemic, with many still struggling to make full recoveries.
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association testified in support of this bill, noting that many small businesses do not have the ability to invest time and resources into researching online practices. The CBIA said in testimony that it strongly supports the creation of these seminars to aid small businesses in easily accessing reputable material, specifically citing the advantages that cybersecurity training could provide in protecting business and customer data.
This legislation follows similar programs in other states; for example, several North Carolina community colleges currently offer free seminars for small businesses to aid job creation and retention.
The bill passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a unanimous vote. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
Free Small Business Internet Education Courses Pass Senate
Free Small Business Internet Education Courses Pass Senate
Sen. Anwar Joins Senate Democrats In Approving Business-Friendly Seminars
Today, the Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 3, legislation that will lead to the development of online seminar courses supporting small businesses in developing and expanding online infrastructure for their businesses. State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined Senate Democrats in leading the vote, passing a bill that stands as a major priority this year, intended to support small businesses in their recovery from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We need to support our small businesses and I’m proud to vote for legislation doing just that,” said Sen. Anwar. “In a world where the internet is a vital resource for nearly everything we do, these classes will help small businesses compete with larger corporations and expand their business offerings and opportunities. All that, and they’ll be free for small businesses to take, too. This bill provides a valuable resource that will benefit employers and improve their opportunities across the state.”
Senate Bill 3, “An Act Requiring The Board of Regents For Higher Education To Develop Seminar Programs For Small Businesses,” would see the Board of Regents develop programs designed to aid small businesses with 25 or fewer employees adapt to changing business environments. The programs would offer electronic commerce, social media, cybersecurity and virtual currency courses, among others, and would be available to small businesses by September 1.
Through the programs, up to two small business employees would be able to enroll at no cost in up to five seminar programs, or any courses within seminar programs, at the Northwestern Connecticut Community College Entrepreneurial Center or the Werth Innovation and Entrepreneurial Center at Housatonic Community College.
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities reported that the seminars would be offered online and in-person for businesses.
Since 2014, worldwide e-commerce sales have more than tripled in value, with e-commerce growing sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media, online platforms and internet presence are all more valuable to market success than they were a decade ago. At the same time, 75% of small businesses experienced a decline of at least 25% in revenue from 2019 to 2020. The Small Business Administration reported that tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of small businesses were lost just at the beginning of the pandemic, with many still struggling to make full recoveries.
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association testified in support of this bill, noting that many small businesses do not have the ability to invest time and resources into researching online practices. The CBIA said in testimony that it strongly supports the creation of these seminars to aid small businesses in easily accessing reputable material, specifically citing the advantages that cybersecurity training could provide in protecting business and customer data.
This legislation follows similar programs in other states; for example, several North Carolina community colleges currently offer free seminars for small businesses to aid job creation and retention.
The bill passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a unanimous vote. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
Looney, Duff, Senate Democrats Call on CT Utilities to Better Prepare for Cybersecurity Threats
Looney, Duff, Senate Democrats Call on CT Utilities to Better Prepare for Cybersecurity Threats
Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus called on the utilities in Connecticut to better prepare for increased cybersecurity threats. In a letter to utilities operating in the state, the Democratic Senators highlighted how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the need for heightened vigilance to protect our cyber systems and infrastructure against the increasingly sophisticated form of nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks.
The Senators warned about the potential damage of a successful attack which “could place Connecticut residents in life threatening situations. From the resident who is dependent on electricity for oxygen to live to the dependence all of us have on our water supply, your companies’ cyber security preparations are of the utmost importance to our state. We need to do all we can to strengthen our defenses in light of these more powerful and possibly more imminent threats.”
Furthermore, the Senators called on the need to anticipate and prepare for a critical infrastructure cyberattack.
“We need emergency management exercises whose central premise is such an attack. How would we handle the unprecedented effects of electricity and natural gas outages lasting more than two weeks, and the concurrent and extremely serious demands created by the inability to provide potable water and processed sewage? We want to be assured you are taking all precautions, monitoring the situation, acting to anticipate challenges, and addressing all potential threats with the urgent concern.”
The warning was sent to the major utilities in the state including Eversource, United Illuminating Company, ISO New England, Aquarion Water Company, Regional Water Authority, The Connecticut Water Company, Southern Connecticut Gas Company, and Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation. In addition the letter was sent to local utilities including Bozrah Light and Power, Groton Utilities, Heritage Village Water Company, Norwich Public Utilities, Old Newgate Ridge Water Company, Preston Plains Water Company, South Norwalk Electric and Water, Avon Water Company, Berkshire Gas Company, Hazardville Water Company, Jewett City Water Company, Torrington Water Company, Valley Water Systems, and Wallingford Department of Public Utilities.
In addition to Senator Looney and Senator Duff, the letter was signed by Senator Norm Needleman, Senator Will Haskell, Senator James Maroney, Senator Saud Anwar, Senator Marilyn Moore, Senator Patricia Billie Miller, Senator Christine Cohen, Senator Steve Cassano, Senator Dennis Bradley, Senator Julie Kushner, Senator Cathy Osten, Senator Gary Winfield, Senator Matt Lesser, Senator Derek Slap, Senator John Fonfara, Senator Jorge Cabrera, Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams, Senator Doug McCrory, Senator Rick Lopes, and Senator Joan Hartley.
The full text of the letter is below and a copy of the letter can be found here:
In 2013 the Connecticut General Assembly initiated a first in the nation study by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to examine the cyber security vulnerabilities of our state’s public utilities. It was so successful a number of states and countries followed our lead.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the need for heightened vigilance to protect our cyber systems and infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated form of nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks.
Since our 2013 initiative, the array of potential cyber-attacks against Connecticut public utilities has grown both in sophistication and means of delivery, including nation-state cyber weaponry detected by our Intelligence Community but in many cases beyond the detection capabilities of private utilities.
On March 15 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (Alert A22-074A) warning that “Russian state-sponsored cyber actors have gained network access through exploitation of default Multifactor Authentication (MFA) protocols and a known vulnerability.”
The FBI has now added greater certainty to the fact of critical infrastructure compromise by indicting four Russian individuals for their efforts to execute critical infrastructure penetration.
Moreover, President Biden on March 21 underscored previous warnings about the potential for Russia conducting malicious cyber activity against the United States by stating that “evolving intelligence” indicates that “the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks.” He specifically stated his administration’s intention to “use every tool to deter, disrupt, and if necessary, respond to cyberattacks against critical infrastructure.” He called on “the private sector and critical infrastructure owners” to “accelerate efforts to lock their digital doors” to strengthen “the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services on which Americans rely.”
A successful attack on one of your companies could place Connecticut residents in life threatening situations. From the resident who is dependent on electricity for oxygen to live to the dependence all of us have on our water supply, your companies’ cyber security preparations are of the utmost importance to our state. We need to do all we can to strengthen our defenses in light of these more powerful and possibly more imminent threats.
We also need to anticipate and prepare for a critical infrastructure cyber-attack. We need emergency management exercises whose central premise is such an attack. How would we handle the unprecedented effects of electricity and natural gas outages lasting more than two weeks, and the concurrent and extremely serious demands created by the inability to provide potable water and processed sewage?
We want to be assured you are taking all precautions, monitoring the situation, acting to anticipate challenges, and addressing all potential threats with the urgent concern. We are here to be your partners for the people and businesses of the State of Connecticut. We need to ensure that our goals are closely aligned during these unprecedented times so that we can cooperatively fight back against any threats directed toward our state. Connecticut has been a national leader in this changing arena, and we should offer leadership again.
You are our first line of defense. We would deeply appreciate your assessment of how we can most effectively strengthen our cyber defenses, improve our resilience and prepare to counter and rehearse our response to cyber-attacks should they occur. We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you as we confront these new cyber threats and address the warnings we are receiving from our national leaders.
Looney, Duff, Senate Democrats Call on CT Utilities to Better Prepare for Cybersecurity Threats
Looney, Duff, Senate Democrats Call on CT Utilities to Better Prepare for Cybersecurity Threats
Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus called on the utilities in Connecticut to better prepare for increased cybersecurity threats. In a letter to utilities operating in the state, the Democratic Senators highlighted how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the need for heightened vigilance to protect our cyber systems and infrastructure against the increasingly sophisticated form of nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks.
The Senators warned about the potential damage of a successful attack which “could place Connecticut residents in life threatening situations. From the resident who is dependent on electricity for oxygen to live to the dependence all of us have on our water supply, your companies’ cyber security preparations are of the utmost importance to our state. We need to do all we can to strengthen our defenses in light of these more powerful and possibly more imminent threats.”
Furthermore, the Senators called on the need to anticipate and prepare for a critical infrastructure cyberattack.
“We need emergency management exercises whose central premise is such an attack. How would we handle the unprecedented effects of electricity and natural gas outages lasting more than two weeks, and the concurrent and extremely serious demands created by the inability to provide potable water and processed sewage? We want to be assured you are taking all precautions, monitoring the situation, acting to anticipate challenges, and addressing all potential threats with the urgent concern.”
The warning was sent to the major utilities in the state including Eversource, United Illuminating Company, ISO New England, Aquarion Water Company, Regional Water Authority, The Connecticut Water Company, Southern Connecticut Gas Company, and Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation. In addition the letter was sent to local utilities including Bozrah Light and Power, Groton Utilities, Heritage Village Water Company, Norwich Public Utilities, Old Newgate Ridge Water Company, Preston Plains Water Company, South Norwalk Electric and Water, Avon Water Company, Berkshire Gas Company, Hazardville Water Company, Jewett City Water Company, Torrington Water Company, Valley Water Systems, and Wallingford Department of Public Utilities.
In addition to Senator Looney and Senator Duff, the letter was signed by Senator Norm Needleman, Senator Will Haskell, Senator James Maroney, Senator Saud Anwar, Senator Marilyn Moore, Senator Patricia Billie Miller, Senator Christine Cohen, Senator Steve Cassano, Senator Dennis Bradley, Senator Julie Kushner, Senator Cathy Osten, Senator Gary Winfield, Senator Matt Lesser, Senator Derek Slap, Senator John Fonfara, Senator Jorge Cabrera, Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams, Senator Doug McCrory, Senator Rick Lopes, and Senator Joan Hartley.
The full text of the letter is below and a copy of the letter can be found here:
In 2013 the Connecticut General Assembly initiated a first in the nation study by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to examine the cyber security vulnerabilities of our state’s public utilities. It was so successful a number of states and countries followed our lead.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the need for heightened vigilance to protect our cyber systems and infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated form of nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks.
Since our 2013 initiative, the array of potential cyber-attacks against Connecticut public utilities has grown both in sophistication and means of delivery, including nation-state cyber weaponry detected by our Intelligence Community but in many cases beyond the detection capabilities of private utilities.
On March 15 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (Alert A22-074A) warning that “Russian state-sponsored cyber actors have gained network access through exploitation of default Multifactor Authentication (MFA) protocols and a known vulnerability.”
The FBI has now added greater certainty to the fact of critical infrastructure compromise by indicting four Russian individuals for their efforts to execute critical infrastructure penetration.
Moreover, President Biden on March 21 underscored previous warnings about the potential for Russia conducting malicious cyber activity against the United States by stating that “evolving intelligence” indicates that “the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks.” He specifically stated his administration’s intention to “use every tool to deter, disrupt, and if necessary, respond to cyberattacks against critical infrastructure.” He called on “the private sector and critical infrastructure owners” to “accelerate efforts to lock their digital doors” to strengthen “the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services on which Americans rely.”
A successful attack on one of your companies could place Connecticut residents in life threatening situations. From the resident who is dependent on electricity for oxygen to live to the dependence all of us have on our water supply, your companies’ cyber security preparations are of the utmost importance to our state. We need to do all we can to strengthen our defenses in light of these more powerful and possibly more imminent threats.
We also need to anticipate and prepare for a critical infrastructure cyber-attack. We need emergency management exercises whose central premise is such an attack. How would we handle the unprecedented effects of electricity and natural gas outages lasting more than two weeks, and the concurrent and extremely serious demands created by the inability to provide potable water and processed sewage?
We want to be assured you are taking all precautions, monitoring the situation, acting to anticipate challenges, and addressing all potential threats with the urgent concern. We are here to be your partners for the people and businesses of the State of Connecticut. We need to ensure that our goals are closely aligned during these unprecedented times so that we can cooperatively fight back against any threats directed toward our state. Connecticut has been a national leader in this changing arena, and we should offer leadership again.
You are our first line of defense. We would deeply appreciate your assessment of how we can most effectively strengthen our cyber defenses, improve our resilience and prepare to counter and rehearse our response to cyber-attacks should they occur. We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you as we confront these new cyber threats and address the warnings we are receiving from our national leaders.