Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- Gov. Maura Healey’s administration made millions of federal dollars available to cities and towns to improve cybersecurity.
- Grant funds were available through two programs, the Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and State Share Cybersecurity Grant Program.
As cyber threats continue to evolve, Gov. Maura Healey’s administration took a proactive approach by providing federal grant funds to local communities and state agencies for cybersecurity initiatives. The grant programs, including the Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and State Share Cybersecurity Grant Program, aimed to help municipalities, school districts, and state agencies enhance their cybersecurity defenses.
The grants, totaling nearly $7 million, were awarded to 125 local agencies and municipalities, as well as seven state agencies. The funding allowed for various cybersecurity enhancements, such as implementing multi-factor authentication, developing incident response plans, and providing cybersecurity training.
The programs prioritized funding for projects in rural communities, with several area communities and regional school districts receiving grants. The grants served as seed money to help identify and address cyber weaknesses in local government systems, ultimately improving the cybersecurity maturity of the Commonwealth.
While larger grants were awarded to cities that had experienced cybersecurity issues in the past, the overall goal of the grant programs was to equip state and local agencies with the resources needed to prevent, prepare for, and recover from cyber incidents. The grants underscored the importance of bolstering cybersecurity defenses and enhancing the resiliency of communities in the face of evolving cyber threats.
