Oklahoma business owners may soon have a bit more protection against the growing threat of cybercrime as House Bill 1759 passed the House. 

House Bill 1759, authored by Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, and Sen. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole, updates language in the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act to better address computer security threats that continue to evolve.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has seen a spike in ransomware cases over the past few years. Just this month, the City of Tulsa was the target of a ransomware attack. “This is a growing problem and like so many areas of government, we have to adapt to a changing world,” Ranson said. “I hope this legislation is the first step in creating innovative cybercrime legislation in the future.”