Assembly Bill 32 will help make the internet more secure

High-profile computer crimes are increasing nationwide, as shown by recent hacking attacks on major re­tailers. The California Department of Motor Vehicles computer system was also hacked, causing a data security breach in its credit card processing services.

Even the White House website has been compromised. Sadly, no indi­vidual, business or government agen­cy is really safe online.

To help deter these types of crimes, I introduced AB 32, which was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on Oct. 8.

AB 32 clarifies the criminal penal­ties for violations of computer crime statutes. Persons violating those pro­visions are subject to fines of up to $10,000. These criminals are also subject to imprisonment in county jails with sentences ranging from 16 months up to three years.

By clarifying criminal penalties resulting from violations of computer crime statutes, AB 32 will be an im­portant step toward deterring these types of crimes before they happen.

The bill is supported by California College and University Police Chiefs, the California Communities United Institute, Association for Los An­geles Deputy Sheriffs, Los Angeles Police Protective League, Riverside Sheriffs Association and the Associa­tion of Deputy District Attorneys.

Your computer should not be an open door to criminals seeking to in­vade your privacy, access your credit cards or loot your bank account. It is my hope that enactment of AB 32, which will take effect on January 1, 2016, will make the internet more se­cure for all Californians.