Cybersecurity Breaches to Oregon Agencies Are Down 50 Percent

The Oregon State Library website was hacked in June, but the event was uncommon, according to statistics released by the state's Enterprise Security Office. In fact, the state thwarts about 6,250 attacks every day.

Oregon began requiring its agencies to report technology-related security breaches and suspicious incidents in 2009. Since then, the number of reported security breaches has decreased by more than 50 percent, dropping from 44 incidents in 2009 to 21 incidents in 2011. This year is on track to equal 2011's numbers.

The improvement can be attributed to public awareness about cybersecurity, said Theresa Masse, the state’s chief information security officer, reported the Statesman Journal. “People are thinking twice about opening an email or before they go to a website,” she said.