Fed Bill Could Restore Free Cybersecurity Services for Local Govs
Fed Bill Could Restore Free Cybersecurity Services for Local Govs
Publish Date: 2026-06-11 13:22:00
Source Domain: conduitstreet.mdcounties.org
A new federal proposal from US Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) aims to restore and strengthen cybersecurity support for state and local governments through renewed funding for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).
In a recent article from Government Technology, the proposed federal Guaranteeing Universal Access to Cybersecurity Act would provide $50 million annually beginning in fiscal year 2027 to support the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), a program operated by the Center for Internet Security that delivers free cybersecurity services to approximately 19,000 state, local, tribal, and territorial government entities nationwide.
MS-ISAC has historically been funded through the US Department of Homeland Security, providing local governments and other public-sector organizations with critical resources including threat intelligence, network monitoring, incident response assistance, and cybersecurity guidance. However, funding for the program was omitted from federal legislation enacted last year, raising concerns about the future availability of these services, particularly for smaller jurisdictions with limited cybersecurity capacity.
From the GovTech article:
The entirety of America’s critical infrastructure are in grave danger from our adversaries and criminals using the latest artificial intelligence (AI) enabled tools to find vulnerabilities and exploit them for financial gain, to create chaos, or both, said US Senator Mark Warner (D-VA).
Under the proposal, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) would be required to partner with the Center for Internet Security to continue offering free cybersecurity services and technical assistance to public-sector organizations. The legislation would also prioritize restoring participation among jurisdictions that previously relied on MS-ISAC services before the program transitioned to a paid model.
Read the full article.
