Exploring the $200M FCC E-Rate Cybersecurity Pilot Program

Exploring the $200M FCC Cybersecurity Pilot Program

In early 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced they approved a three-year, $200 million pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of using Universal Service funding to support cybersecurity services and equipment to protect schools and libraries. Nearly a year later, the FCC announced 707 eligible schools and libraries had been selected to participate in the Cybersecurity Pilot Program.

Arctic Wolf is here to be your trusted partner through this process and help you access the resources, protection and expertise needed to keep your students, libraries, staff, and community safe.

Schedule an overview to learn why our educational institution service customers trust Arctic Wolf.

In this historic funding opportunity, selected schools and libraries will have the chance to access pilot program funds to defray the costs of eligible cybersecurity services and equipment. Unsure of what this means for your organization?

Let’s break it down.

I was selected as a Cybersecurity Pilot Program Participant - What happens now?

Congrats! This is a historic opportunity to demonstrate the need to establish and bolster cybersecurity solutions for K-12 schools and libraries. According to the Public Notice released in January 2025, selected Pilot participants must first complete FCC Form 470 and then “conduct a fair and open competitive bidding process to seek bids for the eligible services and equipment for which they intend to seek support.”

 

As you’re evaluating vendors, keep in mind that the Commission will request Pilot participants to evaluate and report on their cybersecurity readiness before, during, and after their participation in the program.

Unfortunately my organization was not selected to participate in the Pilot Program - what should my next steps be?

We’re sorry your institution was not selected for the Pilot Program, however we are hopeful the historic interest and applications for the program demonstrated the need for a full-fledged permanent program. Protecting your school, students, faculty and community is likely still a top priority and Arctic Wolf is pleased to offer special pricing for K-12 schools. Make sure you’re not leaving yourself vulnerable in the interim and explore solutions like an incident response retainer to ensure you’re protected as you explore the right mix of resources for your organization.

Please reach out to learn more about Arctic Wolf solutions and eligible pricing.

What solutions are eligible for this pilot program?

The pilot program has listed four categories of eligible solutions.

Explore a full list of our alliance partners and integrations.
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Monitoring, Detection, and Response

Endpoint Devices icon

Endpoint Protection

Identity protection and authentication

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Advanced/next-generation firewalls

You can view a non-exhaustive list of the types of eligible services for the pilot program on the FCC website.

What is the timing of the pilot program?

On January 16, 2025, the FCC released a Public Notice announcing the selected participants for the Pilot Program. The FCC also noted that the Pilot Program funding application filing window will run from March 18 – September 15, 2025.

How should I go about getting a bid from Arctic Wolf?

We’re excited to hear you’re evaluating Arctic Wolf as your cybersecurity vendor. Arctic Wolf is pleased to offer special pricing for K-12 schools and competitive bids for selected participants. Please contact us to speak with a team member.

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Arctic Wolf Solutions for K-12 Schools

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Arctic Wolf Makes the Grade for K-12 Schools’ Cybersecurity

Schedule an overview to learn why our educational institution service customers trust Arctic Wolf to:
  • Monitor environments 24x7 to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats
  • Provide continual vulnerability assessments
  • Partner with them to meet data security compliance obligations
  • Identify threats targeting network or cloud applications
  • Conduct cybersecurity awareness training for security teams and employees
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