Last week saw a ransomware bill pass in the Iowa House of Representatives.

Representative for House District 23 Ray Sorensen is the chair of the Economic Growth and Technology Committee, and he tells Raccoon Valley Radio a bill from the committee pertaining to ransomware was passed, and goes over what that bill will do.

“We’ve just passed a ransomware bill off the floor, and that defines ransomware and code, and it makes it a crime punishable all the way up to at least a class C felony, depending on the amount of damages. And so, I think that’s an important step forward in the cybersecurity realm.”

Sorensen mentions that another bill he is working on would give Iowa State University funds to build a Cybersecurity Simulation Training Center and Cyber Sports Complex. This is a bill that Sorensen tried to get passed last legislative session, but after passing in the House, it went to the Senate where it made no further progress.