White House Touts $1 Billion in Grants to Fight Cybercrime

The Biden administration has called on states and local governments to apply for new cybersecurity grants worth $1 billion over four years.

The move is part of US efforts to beat back attacks from criminal hackers, who have successfully targeted everything from gas pipelines and meat factories to schools and hospitals.

“Cyberattacks have emerged as one of the most significant threats to our homeland,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, adding that attackers are exploiting the “limited capacity” of states and local governments.

US jurisdictions battling ransomware and other cyberattacks on schools, railways, power grids, waste-water systems and ...