Cybersecurity, election security programs to be fully funded

Programs that promote election security and combat cyberthreats will be fully funded in the next fiscal year’s budget, a DHS official confirmed at a Senate hearing.

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) program as well as the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC) program will be funded, according to testimony provided by DHS officials at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing this week.

The funding was confirmed by Chris Krebs, director of the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He was responding to a question from Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Gary Peters (D-MI), who expressed concerns that MS-ISAC funding would be reduced from $15 million to $10.4 million. The MS-ISAC program ensures that the federal government communicates information on cyberthreats and best practices to state and local entities.

“They are fully funded, I think in the FY20 budget we’re talking about a base of $11.5 million with an additional 10 on top…The MS-ISAC is, as you’ve heard, one of our key mechanisms for broadly engaging state and locals,” Krebs said at the hearing.

At the hearing, Hassan also discussed the importance of the Department of Homeland Security working with state and local partners to prevent and respond to cybersecurity threats.

“New Hampshire entities have experienced ransomware attacks – last year Strafford County and Sunapee School District were targets of malicious hackers,” Hassan said.

She introduced a bill with Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Gary Peters (D-MI) to establish a Cybersecurity State Coordinator program.