Federal budget could impact local cyber defenses
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Nearly 19,000 state and local government offices could lose access to vital cyber threat intelligence and affordable security tools by the end of the month.
Why it matters: Adversarial hackers have increasingly targeted local governments, law enforcement, utilities and schools in recent years.
Driving the news: Federal funding for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) is set to expire on Sept. 30, and the Department of Homeland Security has no plans to request additional dollars.
Zoom in: The San Antonio Water System tells Axios that MS-ISAC is one of several cybersecurity tools it uses. It also works with the city, CPS Energy, VIA and other regional agencies to identify and share threat information.
- "Since we don't rely solely on any single source for intelligence, we expect to be able to continue to maintain a high level of cybersecurity, even in light of changes in federal funding," SAWS spokesperson Anne Hayden tells Axios.
- CPS Energy spokesperson Milady Nazir tells Axios it does not comment on specific security tools or "the impact of removing any tool on our overall security posture."
The big picture: Investigating cyber threats is like solving a puzzle — and each tech vendor, company and agency has a different piece.
- Only when they share intelligence can potential victims see the full picture and take action to stop attackers.
- But threat sharing is complicated without groups like MS-ISAC.
What they're saying: "State and local organizations are literally on the front lines of defense for this nation," Center for Internet Security (CIS) CEO John Gilligan tells Axios.
What's next: CIS will spend the coming weeks making the case on Capitol Hill that the proposed cuts would harm state and local governments.