Senate-Approved $1T Infrastructure Package Includes Over $1.9B for Cybersecurity

The Senate has approved a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, allocating more than $1.9 billion for cybersecurity.

The funds will support efforts to secure U.S. critical infrastructure against attacks, help vulnerable organizations protect themselves, and finance a key federal cyber office, among others.

All Democrats voted for the bill along with 19 Republican senators to pass the legislation after weeks of negotiations, The Hill reported.

The infrastructure package includes $1 billion in funds for use by state and local governments to strengthen their cybersecurity. The funds are part of the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act, which would allow the Department of Homeland Security to create a grant program to provide $1 billion to government entities over four years.

The package also includes the Cyber Response and Recovery Act, which authorizes the DHS secretary to declare a significant incident about a cyberattack against a critical U.S. organization. The legislation also provides $100 million in funding for the DHS to help support groups impacted by the incident for five years.

The DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will receive $35 million to invest in sector risk management. Meanwhile, the department’s Science and Technology Directorate will get $15 million over five years for cybersecurity and technological research.

Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement that the provisions under the package will help boost cybersecurity at every government level, protect sensitive personal information and improve the country’s response to online assaults by providing resources to “prevent and recover from attacks.”

The approval of the infrastructure bill comes in the wake of cyberattacks that targeted government organizations and private companies.