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Cybersecurity Pilot Program.

Our mission is to provide high-quality consulting and support for E-rate and Cybersecurity Pilot Program participants. We start by understanding your needs, then step you through the process so every compliance requirement is met on time, while reducing your workload and stress.

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Pilot Program resources.

The program

Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program.

The Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program (Pilot Program) is meant to study the effectiveness of using universal service funding to support cybersecurity services and equipment to protect school and library broadband networks.

The three-year Pilot Program provides up to $200 million in Universal Service Fund support to participating eligible schools and libraries, to defray the costs of eligible cybersecurity services and equipment.

Official program websites

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Eligibility

What is covered?

The Pilot Program, modeled after the Connected Care Pilot Program, studies the effectiveness of using universal service funding to support cybersecurity services and equipment that protect school and library broadband networks.

Funds are available for four general categories of technology:

  • Advanced and Next-Generation Firewalls
  • Endpoint Protection
  • Identity Protection and Authentication
  • Monitoring, Detection, and Response

Read the full Pilot Program Order here.

The rules

Cybersecurity Pilot Program rules.

Pilot funding and duration

The pilot is a three-year program funded with up to $200 million.

Funding comes from unused E-rate funds from prior funding years, to minimize the impact on the contribution factor.

Funding caps and prioritization

Pilot program participants are subject to a pre-discount “budget” similar to the current Category Two budget system used in the E-rate program.

School applicants’ budgets are set at $13.60 per student, and library applicants receive a budget of $15,000 per library location.

All applicants are subject to a $15,000 budget minimum (for schools with fewer than 1,100 students) and a $1.5 million budget maximum (for schools with more than 110,000 students).

Eligible services

Services and equipment are eligible if they “constitute a protection designed to improve or enhance the cybersecurity of a K-12 school, library or consortium.”

The Pilot Eligible Services List enumerates as eligible, in a non-limiting manner, four general categories of technology: Advanced and Next-Generation Firewalls, Endpoint Protection, Identity Protection and Authentication, and Monitoring, Detection, and Response. See the full list below.

Application process

The FCC has divided its participation application (FCC Form 484) into two parts.

Part one collects a more general level of cybersecurity information about the applicant and its proposed Pilot project. It uses pre-populated data where possible, along with several yes/no questions and questions with a predetermined set of responses.

If selected to participate, an applicant must then complete part two, which collects more detailed information about the applicant’s current cybersecurity posture, training, policies, and history of cyber threats.

Application process modeled after E-rate

Selected participants go through an application process very similar to the current E-rate process: competitive bidding via FCC Form 470, requesting discounts via FCC Form 471, and invoicing via BEARs or SPIs (FCC Forms 472 or 474).

Eligible Services List

Pilot Program Eligible Services List.

Select a category to see the eligible equipment and services.

Advanced/Next-Generation Firewalls

Equipment and services that implement advanced/next-generation firewalls, including software-defined firewalls and Firewall as a Service, are eligible. Specifically, equipment, services, or a combination of equipment and services that limits access between networks, excluding basic firewalls that are funded through the Commission’s E-Rate program, are eligible.

Eligible equipment and services may include the following features, substantially similar features, or their equivalents:

  • Advanced Threat Detection and Prevention
  • AI/ML Threat Detection and Response
  • Application Awareness & Control
  • Cloud-Delivered Threat Intelligence
  • Comprehensive Network Visibility Software-defined Firewalls
  • Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)
  • Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection
  • Firewall as a Service (FWaaS)
  • Integrated Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)
  • Internet of Things (IoT) Security
  • Intrusion Prevention/Detection
  • Malware Detection
  • Network Segmentation
  • Patch Management Systems
  • VPN
Endpoint Protection

Equipment and services that implement endpoint protection are eligible. Specifically, equipment, services, or a combination of equipment and services that implements safeguards to protect school- and library-owned end-user devices, including desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, against cyber threats and attacks are eligible.

Eligible equipment and services may include the following features, substantially similar features or their equivalents:

  • Anti-Malware
  • Anti-Ransomware
  • Anti-Spam
  • Anti-Virus
  • Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
  • Extended Detection & Response (XDR)
  • Insider and Privilege Misuse
  • Privileged Access Management
  • Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Inspections
  • Target Intrusions
  • Web Application Hacking
Identity Protection and Authentication

Equipment and services that implement identity protection and authentication are eligible. Specifically, equipment, services, or a combination of equipment and services that implements safeguards to protect a user’s network identity from theft or misuse and/or provide assurance about the network identity of an entity interacting with a system are eligible.

Eligible equipment and services may include the following features, substantially similar features, or their equivalents:

  • Active Countermeasure Tools
  • Cloud Application Protection
  • Cloud Services
  • Credential Stuffing
  • Content Blocking and Filtering/URL Filtering
  • Content Caching Systems and Service
  • Customer Portal Services
  • Digital Identity Tools
  • Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection
  • DNS/DNS-Layer Security, Blocking, and Filtering
  • Email and Web Security
  • Identity Governance & Technologies
  • Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
  • Logging Practices / Event Logging
  • Network Access Control
  • Offsite/Immutable back-ups
  • MFA/Phishing-Resistant MFA
  • Patching
  • Password Spraying
  • Privileged Identity Management
  • Products with TPM Chips
  • Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
  • Secure-By-Design Equipment and Services
  • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
  • Security Updates
  • Single Sign-On (SSO)
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
  • Web Content Controls
  • Wireless Access Controllers
  • Zero Trust Architecture
Monitoring, Detection, and Response

Equipment and services that implement monitoring, detection and response are eligible. Specifically, equipment, services, or a combination of equipment and services that monitor and/or detect threats to a network and that take responsive action to remediate or otherwise address those threats is eligible.

Eligible equipment and services may include the following features, substantially similar features, or their equivalents:

  • Advanced Attack Surface Management and Asset Management Solutions
  • Bug Bounty Solutions & Services
  • Compliance Assessment
  • Dark Web Scanning
  • Data Loss Prevention
  • Internal/External Vulnerability Scanning
  • Network/Device Monitoring & Response
  • Network Security Audit
  • Network Traffic Analysis
  • Managed Detection & Response (MDR)
  • Managed Service Providers
  • Maturity Models
  • Network Detection Response (NDR)
  • Penetration Testing
  • Security Operations Center (SOC) for Around the Clock (24/7/365) Monitoring, Detection, and Response
  • Threat Hunting/Updates and Threat Intelligence
  • Vulnerability Management

Notes:

  • Certain technologies (e.g., DDoS protection) are listed in multiple categories above, reflecting the multiple ways they are categorized in the marketplace.
  • Eligible costs include maintenance, operation and support charges, monthly charges, special construction, installation and activation charges, software, modulating electronics, and other equipment necessary to make eligible equipment and services functional. All eligible equipment and services and related costs, including maintenance and operation, must be competitively bid.
  • A manufacturer’s multi-year warranty for a period up to three years that is provided as an integral part of an eligible component, without a separately identifiable cost, may be included in the cost of the component.
  • Eligibility is limited to equipment that is network-based (i.e., that excludes end-user devices, including, for example, tablets, smartphones, and laptops) and services that are network-based and/or locally installed on end-user devices, where the devices are owned or leased by the school or library, and where equipment and services are designed to identify and/or remediate threats that could otherwise directly impair or disrupt a school’s or library’s network, including to threats from users accessing the network remotely.
  • Ineligible costs include:
    • Any equipment, service, or other related cost that is eligible in the Commission’s E-Rate eligible services list program in the funding year for which Pilot reimbursement is sought.
    • Any equipment, service, or other related cost for which a participant has already received reimbursement, or plans to apply for reimbursement, through any other USF or federal, state, or local program in the funding year for which Pilot reimbursement is sought.
    • Staff salaries and labor costs for personnel of the participant or underlying beneficiary are not eligible.
    • Consulting services that are not related to the installation and configuration of the eligible equipment and services are not eligible. These include services related to application assistance, Program advice, and other activities not tied directly to actual installation and initial configuration of eligible equipment and services.
    • Long-term planning and risk assessment surveys, including threat intelligence analysis and costs associated with incident response plans.
    • Security cameras, asset tracking tags, insurance costs, threat responses exercises, training, and any costs associated with responding to specific ransom demands are ineligible.
    • Any equipment or services prohibited by the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, Pub. L. No. 116-124, 134 Stat. 158 (2020) (codified as amended at 47 U.S.C. §§ 1601–1609) (Secure Networks Act) or the Commission’s rules, including Commission rules 54.9 and 54.10, that implement the Secure Networks Act.

Webinars

Past cybersecurity webinars.

June 12, 2024 · 59 min

Cybersecurity Pilot Program Webinar

Funds For Learning’s special webinar covering the details of the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program. Download the slides.

Watch the recording

In the news

Related Cybersecurity Pilot Program news.

See all cybersecurity coverage →

FAQs

Frequently asked questions.

Is the $200 million annual funding, or the total over the course of 3 years?

The Cybersecurity Pilot Program will provide up to $200 million in universal service support to eligible schools and libraries to defray the cost of eligible cybersecurity services and equipment over the course of three years.

Is there a minimum award amount that has been identified?

All applicants will be subject to a $15,000 budget minimum (for schools with fewer than 1,100 students) and a $1.5 million budget maximum (for schools with more than 110,000 students).

When will the FCC start accepting applications?

The window for the Pilot Program application will open this Fall.

Talk to a Guide

Let us step you through the Pilot Program.

Tell us about your district or library, and a Guide will walk you through eligibility, budgets, and deadlines.

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