Fact Sheet: Cybersecurity Resources

June 21, 2024

The White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) is dedicated to enhancing the cybersecurity posture of State, Local, Tribal and Territorial across the nation. In line with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to protecting critical infrastructure in every community in the nation, we are providing resources from across the Federal Government for cities and states to bolster resilience. In particular, we are highlighting services that help protect education and water facilities, as well as help build the cyber workforce.

Resources for State, Local, Tribal, Territorial (SLTT)

• State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program
  • The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 provides $1 billion in funding over four years to address cybersecurity risks and threats to SLTT-owned and operated information systems.
• Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC)
  • MS-ISAC serves as the central cybersecurity resource for SLTT Governments.
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Tools and Services
  • CISA provides free tools and services that can enhance SLTT cyber defenses.
  • For organizations early in their cybersecurity strategy development, basic cyber hygiene steps are low or no-cost steps to improve their security.

Resources for Water and Wastewater Utilities

• Water and Wastewater Systems Toolkit
  • CISA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a toolkit with key resources for water and wastewater systems cybersecurity at every maturity level.
• Cybersecurity Resource List
  • To supplement the toolkit, the EPA provides a collection of cybersecurity resources.
• Rural Utilities Service Water and Environmental Programs (WEP)
  • The Department of Agriculture provides funding for the construction of water and waste facilities in rural communities.
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)
  • The CWSRF provides low-cost financing to communities for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects, including security measures at publicly owned treatment works.
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
  • The DWSRF is a financial assistance partnership administered by the EPA to help water systems achieve health protection objectives, including cybersecurity provisions.

Resources for K-12 Institutions

• Protective Domain Name Service (PDNS)
  • PDNS is an easy and free resource for K-12 institutions to prevent cyberattacks. It is a set-it-and-forget-it tool that prevents users on the network from accessing malicious websites. The MS-ISAC provides PDNS to schools at no cost.
• Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
  • Enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked by ensuring there is a second form of verification for sensitive accounts.
• Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog
  • By prioritizing known exploited vulnerabilities, K-12 institutions can significantly reduce their likelihood of being compromised.
• Data Backup
  • CISA offers guidance to help K-12 institutions recover and restore systems, networks, and data.
• Vulnerability Scanning and Testing Services
  • K-12 institutions can enroll in CISA’s free vulnerability scanning service.
• Incident Response
  • Organizations can leverage CISA’s Incident Response Plan Basics to help implement and improve their incident response.
• Training and Awareness
  • To ensure that K-12 institutions are adequately trained on security protocols and best practices, CISA provides external resources on awareness and education training for cybersecurity.

Resources for Growing the Cyber Workforce

The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy calls for stakeholders to prepare the workforce across all industries with the cyber skills to securely design, build, and operate information and operational technologies. Urban areas rely on digital infrastructure in addition to serving as crucial hubs for businesses and economic activities. Ensuring a robust cyber workforce enables economic growth and good-paying jobs while enabling a more resilient ecosystem for people, businesses, and systems. For more information and resources on how to grow the cyber workforce, visit www.whitehouse.gov/cyberworkforce.

Please visit www.whitehouse.gov/oncd/ for additional information, resources, and guidance.