Five organizations representing state and local governments have sent an open letter to congressional appropriations leaders, calling for the restoration of federal funding that was cut from their cybersecurity programs. They urged lawmakers to reinstate funding for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), noting that members of this non-partisan coalition depend on the MS-ISAC to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure and services from a constantly evolving range of cyber, physical, and information operations threats, including those posed by foreign adversaries.
In a letter Doug Robinson, executive director of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers; Matthew Chase, executive director and CEO of the National Association of Counties; Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of the United States Conference of Mayors; Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and executive director of the National League of Cities; and Megan E. Noland, executive director of the Major County Sheriffs of America, highlighted to the leadership of the appropriations committee that without federal funding, “our members will be left to combat foreign cyber and multidimensional threats on their own.”
The executives outlined their position to Representative Tom Cole, a Republican from Oklahoma, and Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, and Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat that every day, “we use MS-ISAC’s services to protect the private data of citizens and the operation of hundreds of thousands of public schools, hospitals, utilities, law enforcement, courts, and other essential critical infrastructure across the country. MS-ISAC helps us prevent expensive data breaches and thwart increasingly sophisticated attacks. Exploitation of the cyber domain almost always has a harmful impact on the physical world.”
They also pointed out that the loss of federal funding will create significant vulnerabilities for rural and small communities that often lack the resources to manage cybersecurity threats independently. “It will lead to gaps in critical security services, making state and local governments more susceptible to cyberattacks, undermining public trust and safety. In short, without MS-ISAC’s services, many of its members will not be able to maintain the security of their public services.”
In May, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) submitted President Donald Trump’s topline discretionary budget request for fiscal year 2026 to Congress. The proposal includes a US$163 billion, or 23 percent, reduction in non-defense discretionary spending compared to the FY 2025 enacted level. The federal administration has proposed a budget that reduces funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) by approximately $491 million.
The executives also noted that for over 20 years, the MS-ISAC has proven its effectiveness. State and local governments have tackled cybersecurity threats alongside federal entities using MS-ISAC services to exchange actionable intelligence. It is essential for cybersecurity and emergency communications.
In 2024, MS-ISAC services helped detect more than 43,000 potential cyberattacks targeting state and local networks, escalating them to affected organizations 97 percent faster than commercial alternatives. They also identified and prevented over 59,000 potential malware and ransomware attacks on endpoints such as workstations and servers, blocked 25 billion connections to malicious websites that could have served as entry points for cyberattacks, and stopped 5.4 million known malicious or suspicious emails.
The executives emphasized that the decades-long partnership among the MS-ISAC, Congress, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), strengthened by the State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act, is critical to maintaining the nation’s security and resilience. They called it a clear example of how collaboration can address cybersecurity challenges and one of the most effective, efficient uses of federal taxpayer dollars.
“In closing, we respectfully urge Congress to recognize the critical importance of the MS-ISAC and to restore the necessary federal funding to previous fiscal year levels, at a minimum, to support its operations,” the executives wrote. “The work of MS-ISAC is vital to the security and resilience of our communities—and of our nation’s critical infrastructure. We stand ready to work with Congress to ensure that the MS-ISAC, an indispensable partner in these collective efforts, continues to safeguard state and local governments and American critical infrastructure against cyber threats at home and abroad.”
Last week, the CISA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced more than $100 million in grant funding to help states, tribes, and local governments bolster their cybersecurity defenses. The grants will play a critical role in enhancing cybersecurity resilience by providing resources to strengthen network security and reduce cyber risks.
