New York Awards $9M for Cybersecurity Tokens to Schools and Local Governments Statewide

Albany, N.Y. — New York is distributing physical multi-factor authentication “hard tokens” to 161 local government entities — including school districts — as part of a $9 million effort aimed at reducing account takeovers and limiting cyberattacks that can disrupt classrooms and public services.

State officials said the funding comes from the federal State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, using combined fiscal year 2022 and 2023 allocations. The program is jointly administered at the federal level by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and New York’s Office of Information Technology Services will administer the initiative statewide.

Multi-factor authentication requires two or more proofs of identity, such as a password plus a physical token, making it harder for attackers to access systems even if a password is stolen. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is “acting now” to strengthen defenses across counties, municipalities, school districts and public authorities.

The recipients include a mix of upstate, downstate and regional entities — from counties and towns to BOCES and public authorities — reflecting what state officials described as a “whole-of-state” approach to cyber readiness.

What parents should know: Cyber incidents can lead to canceled classes, delayed transportation updates, and interruptions to online gradebooks or meal-account systems. Families can help by double-checking official district communication channels, watching for phishing emails that mimic school messages, and enabling MFA on parent portals when offered.

State officials did not provide a delivery timeline in the announcement; families and staff should watch their district or local government IT updates for rollout details.