State leaders renew call for cyber grant program's renewal

State leaders urged Congress to reauthorize and fund a cybersecurity grant program for state and local governments. The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program was reauthorized by the House but still needs Senate action before it expires in September. Officials said the program helps governments build cyber resilience against increasing threats and should continue with sustained funding and operational flexibility. The program was originally funded through a 2021 infrastructure law and received a temporary extension through September via a government funding deal. The House approved the PILLAR Act to reauthorize the program for 10 more years, while a Senate companion bill is pending with only a one-year extension. Tennessee reported that grant funding secured endpoints and provided cybersecurity training for local government employees.

"“The scale, speed, and complexity of today's threat environment require sustained funding, operational flexibility, and the ability to respond at the pace of emerging threats,” Tennessee Chief Information Officer Kristin Darby said in written testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation last week. “The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program is one of the most effective tools available to strengthen our collective defense.”"

"The $1 billion cyber grant program was initially funded through a 2021 infrastructure law and received a temporary extension of its authority through September as part of a government funding deal last year. The House voted in November to approve the Protecting Information by Local Leaders for Agency Resilience - or PILLAR - Act, which would reauthorize the grant program for another 10 years. A companion bill is pending in the Senate, albeit with only a one-year extension."

"Witnesses at this latest House hearing said the cyber grant program has been crucial in helping them strengthen their cybersecurity postures, although much more work lies ahead. Darby said the $21 million in grant funding that Tennessee has received has secured almost 90,000 endpoints across local governments and provided cybersecurity training to more than 21,000 local government employees."

Read at Nextgov.com