Key Cybersecurity Initiatives Within The New Infrastructure Bill

The cyberattacks plaguing state and local governments have forced taxpayers to carry a heavy load in recent years. In 2020, the total cost of recovering from those attacks approached a whopping $18.9 billion.

This fact points to the need for the recently passed and much-discussed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, making funding available to those beleaguered agencies to shore up vulnerabilities in their cybersecurity approaches.

With this funding being made available to state and local government agencies, there is no better time than the present for MSPs to expand to the public sector.

In this article, we’re breaking down the key initiatives MSPs should be aware of in the Infrastructure Bill.

Supporting Cyber Security Projects Even for Rural Areas  

Over the next four years, the bill will allocate $1 billion to the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) grant program to provide funding assistance, with 80% of those funds earmarked for local governments and 25% of that total allocated to rural areas.

These rural areas are in dire need of such assistance, given that their bridges and roads need upgrading. Additionally, local governments must improve drinking water supplies, and the power infrastructure needs upgrading.

To ensure that these local upgrade projects can proceed without fear of cyberattack, you as an MSP can step in after approval and lend your knowledge and experience to advising an agency on the best course of action.

Protection for Our Vital Resource: Water 

Another provision of the Infrastructure bill provides for creating a Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability program. Over the next five years, this provision calls for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allocate a total of $75 million to create a competitive grant pilot program that will deliver funding to government agencies. These funds have the potential to increase cybersecurity for publicly-owned treatment works and protect against natural hazards.

This provision is a perfect opportunity for MSPs to become involved with advising, recommending, and coordinating the requests for funding, the reporting which may be necessary, and the accounting for specific expenditures relative to shoring up cyber security.

Emergency funding is now available to respond to digital attacks on public water systems. With cyber attackers poised to target public works because of their criticality and vulnerability, agencies can use some help in implementing more secure systems that are less vulnerable to attack. Unfortunately, most agencies will not have the expertise or knowledge to do this on their own, and that’s where a knowledgeable and experienced MSP can have a significant impact. 

Why Should MSPs Work with Acronis SCS?

With the vital funding necessary to protect state or local government from cyberattacks, all governmental agencies will be obliged to develop a cyber security plan and make prudent use of the funds they receive. So why select Acronis SCS Cyber Protect Cloud or one of our partners? As our MSP partner, you will be able to offer the full spectrum of technology that we provide to your public sector clients. Our cloud solution is a FIPS 140-2 certified, HIPAA compliant, and CJIS-verified solution for the US public sector.

The gaps that it addresses immediately in the public sector are mainly in older, legacy IT systems and lack of network visibility. Our solution delivers a cross-functional mix of cyber and data protection tools that are fully integrated and comprehensive. A highly user-friendly solution, users can manage all the critical endpoints of any network system from a single management console. In addition, the FIPS 140-2 certification ensures the highest grade data encryption, which is compliant with all requirements specified by the Federal Government. HIPAA compliance also guarantees the highest levels of data confidentiality and integrity standards.

Acronis SCS has a strong sense of domestic commerce and responsibility and is all about being based in the US. Our support and data centers are all situated in the US, and all our employees are US citizens. The full suite of features made available through Acronis SCS Cyber Protect Cloud ensures that it will equip any client with safe and reliable backups, protection from ransomware, and the ability to sync and share files seamlessly.

We offer our services in a flexible and easy-to-use manner, including mix-and-match functionalities, plug-and-play capabilities, and pay-as-you-go pricing. As a subscription-based model, Acronis SCS Cyber Protect Cloud offers flexible licensing options that make it easier for all clients to budget the cost of managed services. In addition, the monthly pay-as-you-go model reduces up-front investment for a client, providing cost savings and easier budgeting. 

Public Sector Clients Procure Cybersecurity Solution Through You, Our MSP Partners

Ideally positioned as a Managed Service Provider, you can provide this kind of assistance to state and local governmental agencies and draw upon your knowledge of where vulnerabilities might exist so you can advise and recommend how those funds are spent.

Whether you’re a relative newcomer to the public sector or if you’ve been providing services to state and local governments for several years, we can help you achieve your goals. In addition, we have years of experience in the field and superior products and sales support to help your team be successful.

Our certified cloud backup and security solutions will allow you to bypass all the delays and start profiting immediately.

Now is the perfect time for MSPs to assist state and local governments to navigate the intricate and complicated options provided in the Infrastructure bill. In addition, you can assist clients in maximizing the funding they obtain, whether it’s because of a lack of IT expertise or other reasons.

We collaborate with MSPs to deliver cutting-edge and certifiably secure cloud backup and security products built specifically for the most targeted public sector environments in the United States. In addition, Acronis SCS focuses on the needs of organizations served by our partner MSPs, and the US public sector is our #1 priority.

By working with you as our partner, government agency clients will have a clear path to follow in learning more about investing funding from the Infrastructure Bill wisely. Acronis SCS and our dedicated MSP partners can help clients get #CyberFit.