# Massachusetts Municipalities Enhance Cybersecurity

Massachusetts municipalities including Longmeadow, Holyoke, and Chicopee have taken concrete steps to strengthen their cybersecurity posture through a combination of federal grants, cyber insurance policies, and Department of Defense (DoD) training collaborations. Longmeadow secured a **$100,000 federal grant** in July 2024 to support cybersecurity improvements. Holyoke recently obtained a **$24,000 annual cyber insurance policy** from CFC Underwriting, effective September 11, 2026, following infrastructure upgrades such as multifactor authentication. Chicopee benefited from a **$420,000 in-kind DoD Innovative Readiness Training cybersecurity assessment** conducted in July 2026 at Westover Air Reserve Base. These initiatives reflect a growing emphasis on public sector cyber defense and risk mitigation at the local government level in Massachusetts.

- **Why this matters:** Procurement professionals should note the increasing availability of federal funding and military partnerships to support municipal cybersecurity enhancements.
- Cyber insurance is emerging as a key risk management tool for municipalities, requiring prior IT infrastructure modernization.
- Collaboration with DoD training programs offers municipalities access to specialized cybersecurity assessments and expertise.
- Vendors providing cyber insurance, IT security upgrades, and training services may find expanding opportunities in Massachusetts local government markets.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety, Defense & Military
**Topics:** Cybersecurity, Grants & Funding
**Published:** September 18, 2026

### Government Entities
- Town of Longmeadow
- City of Holyoke
- City of Chicopee
- Department of Defense (DoD)
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts

### Vendors
- CFC Underwriting (Cyber insurance provider)

### Key Quotes
> We’ve been doing groundwork to update our IT infrastructure for the past couple years. So we had to roll out [multifactor authentication] to even be eligible for a policy.
> — Jaime Morrow, Chief Procurement Officer, City of Holyoke

> We’ve got other countries and really bad actors out there around the world who are looking to attack American infrastructure, including our public entities.
> — Maura Healey, Governor

> This partnership is a wonderful example of how collaboration between our community and our military partners can create meaningful benefits for everyone involved.
> — John Vieau, Mayor, City of Chicopee

### Sources
- [Military training exercises, cyber insurance among steps municipalities have taken to bolster cybersecurity  - masslive.com](https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/09/military-training-exercises-cyber-insurance-among-steps-municipalities-taking-to-bolster-cybersecurity.html) - MassLive.com