White House, South Carolina Launch Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Pilot

The White House and South Carolina officials launched Project Lifeline 250, a six-month pilot providing free cybersecurity resources and technology to rural hospitals, according to an Oct. 26 news release from Gov. Henry McMaster's office. The initiative, involving the White House Office of the National Cyber Director, state agencies, and private tech companies including Cisco, Microsoft, Trellix and Zscaler, will strengthen network defenses, deploy backup technology to maintain services during cyber incidents, and identify outdated devices for replacement. The pilot builds on a similar Texas initiative, Project Watershed 250, and officials say it is designed to be scalable nationally. Officials have not disclosed how many or which South Carolina hospitals will participate.