Washington state Chief Information Officer Bill Kehoe said that just because federal funding it tapering out doesn’t mean states can relax on cybersecurity.
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When funding from the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program ends — whether in two years after expiring naturally or sooner due to federal cuts by the Trump administration — it will require state governments to collaborate more closely with their municipalities, Washington’s top technology official said in a recent interview.
Washington state CIO Bill Kehoe said the cyber grant program has been “tremendous” for his state, which has funneled 200 grants valued a total of $7.5 million to local governments, tribes and higher education institutions that needed help bolstering their digital infrastructures.
“We’re really proud of that program and it has provided especially our rural communities with some much-needed funds that they need to combat ransomware attacks and update their security infrastructure, put security training in place,” Kehoe said in a video interview. “And it’s been very successful, but our rural communities get hit a lot.”
A report published by the Government Accountability Office last April showed that the grant program, which requires states to funnel 80% of the funds to local governments, had funded 839 projects nationwide as of last Aug. 1. This represented $172 million provided to 33 states and territories. The grants fund technology to help detect cybersecurity events, defend systems and manage digital identities.
Kehoe said that even if the funding ends, whether in two years or sooner, states must continue to work closely with local governments.
“We can’t just stop. The need is too great. We have to look for ways to continue to collaborate and provide solutions for them, whether that’s utilizing state services or bundling services at the local level and the higher ed level,” he said. “This has taught us that it’s really important we have this whole of state approach to cybersecurity. And it’s brought us together with our local governments.”
