Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez has announced the launch of Florida’s Local Government Cybersecurity Grant Program.
According to the press release, the Florida Digital Service (FDS) will administer the $30 million competitive grant to equip local governments with solutions to enhance their cybersecurity capabilities.
“Florida continues to lead the way with record investments in cybersecurity and modernizations that tackle growing cyber threats head-on,” Nuñez said in a Feb. 16 statement.
“We know that criminals do not care about jurisdictions, and this $30 Million grant offers local governments of all sizes the opportunity to protect themselves and stay at the forefront of cyber resilience,” she added.
FDS will administer the funds, which were appropriated in the state’s 2022-2023 budget.
Municipal and county governments are eligible to apply for the Cybersecurity Grant Program through March 31 at cybergrants.fl.gov.
“In a world full of threat actors, Florida’s technology infrastructure is only as strong as our weakest link,” said James Grant, the state’s chief information officer who oversees the FDS.
“Both Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature agree and have prioritized millions of dollars to help safeguard our local communities from cybersecurity threats that can exploit and wreak havoc on critical infrastructure,” he continued, adding, “I strongly encourage Florida’s local governments in need of cybersecurity support to apply, whether they’re improving existing infrastructure or starting from the ground up.”
The program is designed to flexibly allow local governments to augment and improve their cyber capabilities – regardless of size or resources.
Florida governments that win the award will gain access to cybersecurity solutions that integrate into the State Cybersecurity Operations Center, the press release said.
“Proactive coordination, information sharing, and coordinated response are key facets of a good cybersecurity program to defend assets, identify threats early, and respond decisively to deter and mitigate attacks,” said Pedro Allende, secretary of the Department of Management Services, which supports Florida agencies through innovation and technology.
“Simply put, we’re stronger when we work together toward our common defense and the Local Government Cybersecurity Grant has the potential to put Florida in a posture that most states and the federal government would envy,” Allende said.
