Two years into the $1 billion program, state and local governments are better prepared for cyber attacks. But funding remains an obstacle as under-resourced cybersecurity budgets struggle to keep up with mounting threats.
When Congress passed the infrastructure law in 2021, it made a much-needed, first-of-its-kind investment in cybersecurity.
At the time, state and local governments were facing an increasing wave of ransomware and other cyberattacks. In 2020, a third of global attacks were on states and localities—a number that doubled in 2021, according to Sophos, a data protection and security company.
Now, two years into the $1 billion State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, hundreds of millions of dollars have already been appropriated, with millions more to follow starting later this year. States have used the grants to invest in long-term cybersecurity planning, coordinating with localities and implementing a whole-of-state approach.
Route Fifty
By Chris Teale,
Staff Reporter, Route Fifty
MARCH 20, 2024