State cybersecurity officials urged Congress on Thursday to restore and fund the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) and strengthen CISA.
This request comes as state governments struggle to defend critical infrastructure against escalating threats. Federal cutbacks and inflexible grant structures are reportedly weakening the ability of local jurisdictions to maintain robust defenses against sophisticated attacks.
Three state leaders [1] testified before a U.S. House subcommittee in Washington, D.C. The group included cybersecurity officials from Tennessee, New York, and Florida. They presented a unified front in asking for a resumption of cyber funding to ensure that state-level protections keep pace with evolving risks.
Officials highlighted the rise of AI-driven attacks as a primary driver for the need for more resources. These automated threats target critical infrastructure and outpace the current capabilities of state agencies operating under restricted budgets.
Beyond funding, the officials asked for a strengthening of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). They said that a more robust federal partnership is necessary to coordinate defenses across different state lines.
The testimony emphasized that the current grant structures are too rigid to address the rapid shifts in the threat landscape. By reforming the SLCGP, officials said the federal government could better support the immediate needs of state and local governments.
“State cybersecurity officials urged Congress on Thursday to restore and fund the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program.”
The push for restored SLCGP funding signals a growing tension between federal budget constraints and the technical reality of modern cyber warfare. As AI lowers the barrier for entry for attackers, the reliance on rigid, traditional grant cycles creates security gaps that state officials believe can only be closed through flexible, sustained federal investment and a more empowered CISA.
