Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $7 Million in Cybersecurity Grants

Braintree — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced the award of nearly $7 Million in federal grant funds to local governments and state agencies to enhance cybersecurity initiatives and reduce cyber risk for public agencies statewide.

In February 2024, the administration announced that grant funds were available through two programs, the FY24 Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and FY24 State Share Cybersecurity Grant Program, to help local governments and state agencies undertake priority cybersecurity enhancements. Today, the programs awarded $6,820,897.57 in federal funding to support cybersecurity initiatives across the state. Seven state agencies received a combined $359,063.07 and 125 local agencies and municipalities received grants totaling $6,461,834.50.

“It’s vital that our communities have access to the resources, tools, and guidance necessary to protect against increasingly frequent and sophisticated cybersecurity threats. Through these programs, our administration has undertaken a collaborative approach to equip state agencies and local communities with funding to help prevent, prepare for and recover from attacks on our digital infrastructure,” said Governor Maura Healey.

“These grants allow us to invest in critical cybersecurity initiatives for public agencies. As we work to protect Massachusetts communities from security threats, we’re grateful to each of the award recipients for their ongoing efforts to ensure that their communities are prepared against threats today and in the future,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll.

Funding for both programs was secured through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, offered to states by the US Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As the State Administrative Agency for grant funds received by Massachusetts from these federal agencies, the Office of Grants and Research (OGR) is responsible for managing and administering the grant funds. Awards were approved by the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Planning Committee, which was formed as a condition of the federal program to guide allowable use of the funds.

The program prioritized funding for projects in rural communities, which FEMA defines as any community with a population less than 50,000. At least 84 of the grants were awarded to municipalities meeting FEMA’s definition of rural. Additional grants were awarded to regional divisions of government, such as county government and regional school districts, that benefit multiple communities, including rural towns.

Allowable projects under the grant programs include implementing multifactor authentication, migration to a .gov domain, development of a written cybersecurity incident response plan, tabletop exercises, and cybersecurity awareness training.

“This grant program underscores the importance of bolstering our Commonwealth’s cybersecurity maturity,” said Secretary of Technology Services and Security Jason Snyder.  “By working with and across state and municipal government, we strengthen our defenses and improve the selection of services we offer to all our constituents. In this first year of the grant program, it was important for us to listen to our partners and provide support on critical cybersecurity priorities such as supporting the implementation of incident response plans (IRPs), migrating to the dot.gov domain, and implementing multifactor authentication. We are excited to continue with our shared goal of offering more secure government services.”

“Cyber threats are evolving, and Massachusetts is advancing our strategies and defenses to meet these threats head on. These grant programs allow us the opportunity to invest in the tools necessary to safeguard our digital infrastructure and enhance the resiliency of our communities,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy.

“The security of our communities relies heavily on our cybersecurity infrastructure and practices. I’m grateful to Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll for their support in our efforts to equip Massachusetts communities with resources to enhance their security, preparedness and resilience,” said OGR Executive Director Kevin Stanton.

“We are grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for its commitment to strengthening cybersecurity at the local level. These investments will provide vital resources to help communities across the state ward off cyber threats,” said John Petrozzelli, director of the MassCyberCenter. 

FY24 State Share Cybersecurity Grant Program Award Recipients

FY24 Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant Program Award Recipients

###