DHS Names Tribal Communities Receiving Cybersecurity Grants

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the recipients of a funding program to help tribal nations better manage cybersecurity issues.

In partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program named the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the Blackfeet Nation and the San Carlos Apache Tribe as among the grant recipients.

More than 30 organizations received a share from over $18.2 million in grants from the program to assist in creating critical governance frameworks that would help address cyberthreats and other vulnerabilities targeted by malicious actors, FEMA .gov reported.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, a past Wash100 winner, said that with support from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, tribal communities are given a chance to ensure the availability of the tools needed to fortify cyber defenses.

Jen Easterly, director of CISA and 2024 Wash100 awardee, said that the grants will empower tribal communities to better face everyday threats and improve critical infrastructure resilience.

The grants come as American Indian and Alaska Native communities are facing a growing number of cybersecurity threats.