Applications due March 8 for $9.1M in cybersecurity grant funding

The Healey-Driscoll administration on Feb. 9 announced that more than $9.1 million in federal grant funds will be made available to strengthen cybersecurity and reduce systemic cyber risk for public agencies statewide.

The Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant Program will invest nearly $7.3 million into local agencies, including cities and towns, regional school districts, and other regional authorities. Single applicants may apply for up to $100,000 in funding, while multiple municipalities may jointly apply for up to $300,000.

State agencies can apply for funding through the State Share Cybersecurity Grant Program, for which more than $1.8 million is being made available.

Applications for both grant programs are due by March 8.

In accordance with terms of the federal grant award, the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Planning Committee was formed to guide allowable cybersecurity activities for the Commonwealth, its municipalities, and other public entities.

Secretary of Technology Services and Security Jason Snyder, who chairs the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Planning Committee, said cybersecurity is a top concern “in every conversation I have with a municipal leader, but they either do not have the dedicated personnel or funding to implement the most impactful best practices.”

Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy noted that state and local adoption of advanced technology has improved the government’s ability to deliver services to constituents, but those innovations “have also exposed our operational systems and sensitive data to significant risk.”

Interested municipalities and state agencies can learn more about the application process during upcoming webinars offered by the Office of Grants and Research. Additional information, webinar registration links and application materials are available by visiting the OGR’s Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant Program web page.

The Office of Grants and Research and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security partnered with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security and the MassCyberCenter to make the grant funds available. The federal funds were awarded through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, offered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The OGR, as the state administrative agency for grant funds received by Massachusetts from these federal agencies, is responsible for managing and administering the grant.