States Prioritize Information Sharing in Membership Support
State officials have emphasized the value of MS-ISAC’s government-specific focus as they consider whether to invest in paid memberships. Mississippi CISO Jay White tells Government Technology that MS-ISAC’s ability to tailor intelligence and services to the public sector makes it difficult to replace.
“One of the strongest aspects of MS-ISAC is being able to focus on the government aspect of cyber and provide information that was tailored toward state government,” White said.
MS-ISAC has historically served as a central hub for cybersecurity collaboration across the state, local, tribal and territorial landscape, supporting more than 18,000 organizations nationwide. Services include 24/7 security operations center monitoring, incident response coordination, vulnerability scanning and threat intelligence sharing — resources that many smaller jurisdictions lack the capacity to provide on their own.
The loss of federal funding has raised concerns about whether smaller governments will be able to sustain access to those services. CIS leaders have framed the shift as a move toward a more sustainable, member-driven funding model, while stressing the importance of continued participation.
READ MORE: Investing in shared security is a top 2026 trend for governments.
MS-ISAC Eyes Sustaining Shared Resources
In an interview with Axios following the funding announcement, CIS CEO John Gilligan underscores the stakes for state and local governments if shared cyber defenses weaken.
“State and local organizations are literally on the front lines of defense for this nation,” Gilligan tells Axios, warning that reduced access to shared intelligence and response capabilities could leave governments more vulnerable to ransomware and other cyberthreats.
The funding change comes as cyberattacks against public-sector entities continue to rise, placing pressure on state IT leaders to maintain strong defenses amid tightening budgets. Complicating matters, federal State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program dollars cannot be used to pay for MS-ISAC membership fees, forcing states to identify alternative funding sources.
White tells Government Technology that timing has been a challenge for some states, as the new membership structure emerged after budgets had already been set.
“Because the updated MS-ISAC membership models were introduced after our state’s budgeting cycle, we haven’t yet finalized a long-term budget strategy,” White says.
CIS officials say that no members have been removed during the transition and that the organization is working with states and localities to maintain continuity of services as funding decisions are made.
