Federal guidance now allows money from the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) to go toward purchasing membership to the Multi State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). An Oct. 9 information bulletin from the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) clarifies that SLGCP funds may be used for membership fees that include bundled cybersecurity services, including those provided by MS-ISAC. This clarification comes just more than a year after the MS-ISAC moved to a paid membership model, following the discontinuation of the majority of its own funding from the federal government..Information Bulletin 588 reverses a restriction in the program’s fiscal 2025 guidance, which specifically prohibited using grant money for costs associated with the Center for Internet Security, the nonprofit organization that operates MS-ISAC.But the latest federal guidance doesn’t make membership costs automatically eligible for reimbursement.SLCGP grant recipients and subrecipients must provide detailed cost breakdowns identifying the services included in a membership and explaining how each supports grant program objectives. They must also demonstrate costs as reasonable with market research and comparative pricing comparisons. Inadequate documentation could result in disallowed expenses and repayment obligations, according to FEMA.Prior to Sept. 30, 2025, MS-ISAC received federal support via a long-running cooperative agreement with the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The agreement allowed more than 18,000 state, local and other jurisdictions to access services without paying membership fees. At the agreement’s end, MS-ISAC stood up a tiered membership model, and a spokesperson said they have since onboarded 5,992 public-sector organizations.The Center for Internet Security welcomed the change in an Oct. 15 announcement, saying it gives eligible government organizations another option for financing cybersecurity services.“Through a single MS-ISAC membership, organizations can access services, threat information and expert support that could otherwise require multiple commercial contracts, helping to maximize limited cybersecurity budgets,” said Carlos Kizzee, senior vice president of MS-ISAC strategy and plans.The Center for Internet Security also said it is developing additional resources to help grant recipients understand eligibility requirements, procurement considerations and options for incorporating membership services into their cybersecurity plans.The FEMA clarification applies as well to the Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program and includes services offered by the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center and Tribal Information Sharing and Analysis Center.The organization has also eliminated the requirement that recipients of four federal cybersecurity and homeland security grant programs complete the Nationwide Cybersecurity Review annually. FEMA said an alternative assessment may be required in the future, with additional guidance to follow if that happens.
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