In November 2021, President Biden signed his $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending bill into law. Although the bill’s primary purpose was to fund roadway, transit, and broadband infrastructure, it also set aside roughly $1 billion for state and local cybersecurity. This significant allocation marked a crucial turning point in the ongoing battle against cyber threats faced by governments at all levels. Fast forward ten months, and with several high-profile cyberattacks in the rearview mirror, reinforcements have finally arrived.
The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unveiled the details of the program, aiming to help eligible entities address cybersecurity risks that threaten any information system owned or operated by state, local, and territorial governments. This initiative extends its reach to cloud service offerings developed by Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) working in the public sector. DHS has entrusted the implementation of the SLGCP to two key agencies: the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). While CISA will provide its cybersecurity expertise, FEMA will oversee grant administration and allocation.
StateRAMP: Empowering Cybersecurity Compliance
Established in 2020, StateRAMP has been on a mission to unite state and local governments under a common, stringent cybersecurity standard. By implementing a more rigorous and comprehensive framework, government agencies can streamline cloud security and enhance the protection of sensitive data. State agencies planning to mandate StateRAMP compliance for their CSPs understand the advantages of adhering to a stricter standard. With continuous monitoring and a wide array of security controls in place, they can confidently ensure the safety of their cloud data. Even more enticingly, they can incorporate StateRAMP into their SLGCP Cybersecurity Plan, providing federal agencies with a robust demonstration of their security measures.
A Collaborative Approach to Strengthening Cybersecurity
Leveraging its 100% turnkey compliance-as-a-service approach, Project Hosts has innovated the FasTrack program, a well-established onboarding process tailored for new cloud offerings. This program empowers Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) to achieve full authorization in a mere 9-12 months, which is less than half the time typically required by alternative compliance pathways. What’s more, Project Hosts delivers this remarkable achievement at a significantly reduced cost, providing CSPs with the means to expedite their solution’s market entry and accelerate their return on investment in compliance. What sets Project Hosts apart is its unique capability to offer these services. The GSS One platform, designed by Project Hosts, assumes full responsibility for hosting and managing compliance for third-party applications and cloud systems that necessitate StateRAMP, FedRAMP, and DoD IL4/5 certifications and authorizations. This unparalleled expertise positions Project Hosts as the ideal partner for CSPs seeking swift and cost-effective compliance solutions.
