Project Lifeline 250 will provide six months of free cybersecurity support to South Carolina’s rural hospitals through a partnership of federal, state and private-sector groups.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gov. Henry McMaster and White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross announced Project Lifeline 250 on Monday, a six-month pilot program designed to shore up cybersecurity defenses at rural hospitals across South Carolina at no cost to the hospitals, according to the Office of the Governor.
The initiative pairs the federal Office of the National Cyber Director with the South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity program, private technology companies, federal agencies and local governments. It will connect rural hospitals with American technology firms to identify security weaknesses, defend against attacks and keep critical health services running during a cyber incident, according to the governor’s office.
“Cyber threats are a rising challenge to our nation’s security, and we must remain vigilant to protect the systems our communities depend on. Project Lifeline 250 is another important step toward ensuring South Carolina’s rural hospitals have the resources they need to defend against cyberattacks and continue providing critical care,” McMaster said.
Cairncross said the program will connect rural hospitals with American industry to defend hospital networks, deploy backup devices so hospitals can keep operating after an attack, and identify and replace high-risk or outdated equipment.
“South Carolina is not waiting for the next cyber incident to act. We are identifying risks, bringing partners together, and putting practical solutions in place to better protect the services our citizens depend on,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel, whose agency houses the SC CIC program established by McMaster in 2017 through Executive Order 2017-08.
Private-sector partners participating in the effort include Cisco, Cyera, Microsoft, Trellix and Zscaler, according to the governor’s office. The South Carolina effort builds on a similar program, Project Watershed 250, previously conducted in Texas, and is intended to test solutions that could be expanded to protect infrastructure in other communities nationwide.
Based on a release from Office of the Governor.
Source: Office of the Governor original release.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
