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- Federal Grants Now Available to Fund Cybersecurity at Rural Hospitals
The Biden Administration, the American Hospital Association (AHA), and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) have combined efforts and recruited Google and Microsoft to offer free and low-cost tools and services for independent critical access and rural emergency hospitals. With limited resources and outdated systems, rural hospital systems are often easy targets for hackers.
Google said it will provide endpoint security advice to rural hospitals at no cost and will also offer funding toward software migration. Additionally, Google plans to launch a pilot program to package cybersecurity technologies that meet the unique needs of small and rural facilities.
The new Microsoft Cybersecurity Program for Rural Hospitals aims to offer grants and up to a 75% discount on security products optimized for smaller organizations. Eligible rural hospitals can receive free cybersecurity assessments by qualified technology security providers and free training for frontline and IT staff. Eligible hospitals that are already using Microsoft tools can get its advanced security suite at no additional cost for a year. Microsoft will also extend security updates for Windows 10 to participating hospitals for one year at no cost.