ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – Federal funding is strengthening cybersecurity across New York.

On February 2, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $9 million in support of 161 projects through the State and Local Cyber Security Grant Program.

The money, which comes from the FY2022 and FY2023, will be used to deliver Multi-Factor Authentication to counties, municipalities, school districts, and public authorities.

“Cyber threats are everywhere, and with the important role technology plays in our day-to-day lives, it is crucial that organizations have the resources they need to keep themselves safe,” said Hochul. “These tokens will go a long way in supporting our partners and making our state safer overall. We will not wait for an attack to expose vulnerabilities – we are acting now to strengthen our defenses across the state.”

Four awards went to Tompkins County for the Ithaca City School District, Lansing Central School District, TST-BOCES, and the Town of Ithaca.