State cyber security office proposed to broaden authority

OLYMPIA — Reeling from a December data breach that allowed hackers to access the personal information of roughly 1.6 million state residents, lawmakers are working with Gov. Jay Inslee to establish a new office to protect computers.

Sponsored by Sen. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, Senate Bill 5432 would establish a new Office of Cyber Security. Officials from the Office of the Governor said Inslee requested the bill in response to the December data breach.

The data was in the possession of the State Auditor’s Office, which was investigating unemployment fraud. Hackers accessed the data through a c...