Gov. McMaster, White House National Cyber Director Cairncross Launch Project Lifeline 250 To Strengthen Cybersecurity at South Carolina Rural Hospitals

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Governor Henry McMaster today joined White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross to launch Project Lifeline 250, a joint federal, state and private-sector effort to strengthen cybersecurity protections at rural hospitals across South Carolina at no cost to participating hospitals.



"Cyber threats are a rising challenge to our nation's security, and we must remain vigilant to protect the systems our communities depend on. Project Lifeline 250 is another important step toward ensuring South Carolina's rural hospitals have the resources they need to defend against cyberattacks and continue providing critical care," said Gov. McMaster. "We are grateful to President Trump, the White House and our private-sector partners for working with us to strengthen our defenses and better protect rural communities across South Carolina."

"Delivering on President Trump's vision and commitment to the American people, the Trump Administration - in partnership with South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division - is launching Project Lifeline 250: a six-month, scalable cyber pilot program aimed at securing and strengthening our rural hospitals using cutting-edge American innovation," said Director Cairncross. "Project Lifeline 250 connects the world-leading American industry with rural hospitals and uses the greatest American tools and capabilities to defend hospital networks; deploy physical back up devices after an initial incident to ensure an impacted hospital can still provide critical care; and identify high-risk and legacy devices and replace them. President Trump and his entire Administration remain committed to strengthening and modernizing facilities and technology, and deploying innovative care models that bring high-quality health services to rural communities nationwide."

The six-month pilot will connect rural hospitals with American technology companies and cybersecurity resources to help identify vulnerabilities, defend against cyberattacks and maintain critical healthcare services in the event of a cyber incident. The effort brings together the Office of the National Cyber Director, the South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (SC CIC) program, private-sector partners, federal agencies and local governments.

"South Carolina is not waiting for the next cyber incident to act. We are identifying risks, bringing partners together, and putting practical solutions in place to better protect the services our citizens depend on," said SLED Chief Mark Keel. "This proactive approach is at the heart of the work being done through the South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity program."

Governor McMaster established the SC CIC program in 2017 through Executive Order 2017-08 to strengthen the protection of South Carolina's critical infrastructure against cyber threats. The program works to improve cybersecurity coordination and preparedness across critical infrastructure sectors, including through partnerships between government and private industry.

Project Lifeline 250 will focus on strengthening hospital network defenses, providing backup technology to help hospitals maintain operations following a cyberattack, and identifying high-risk medical and other technology devices used in critical care settings. These capabilities are intended to help participating hospitals better protect their systems and continue delivering essential care during a cyber incident.

Building on the Project Watershed 250 effort in Texas, the South Carolina pilot will evaluate cybersecurity solutions that can be scaled to protect infrastructure in communities nationwide.

Industry Partner Quotes:

Cisco

Attributable to Fran Katsoudas, EVP and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer

"Every community deserves safe, uninterrupted access to healthcare, yet rural hospitals often face the steepest hurdles in defending against disruptive cyber threats. By joining Governor McMaster and the White House ONCD on Project Lifeline 250, Cisco is committed to providing the cybersecurity expertise and foundational defenses needed to keep South Carolina's rural hospital networks secure, resilient, and operational."

Cyera

Attributable to Yotam Segev, Cofounder and CEO

"As SI raises the stakes for critical infrastructure, we're excited to bring cyber expertise from some of the world's largest and most complex enterprises to rural hospitals through Project Lifeline 250. When a hospital knows where its patient data lives and who can reach it, it can reduce the leverage behind ransomware. Every community should have that clarity, no matter the size of the hospital or its IT team."

Microsoft

Attributable to Chris Barry, President, US Public Sector Industries

"Rural hospitals are essential to the health and well-being of communities across America, and protecting them from growing cyber threats is critical to ensuring patients can continue to access the care they depend on. Microsoft is proud to bring the experience we've gained supporting more than 870 rural hospitals across the country - including in South Carolina - to help strengthen the cybersecurity and resilience of rural healthcare services through Project Lifeline 250. We appreciate Governor McMaster and the Administration's focus on this important issue."

Trellix

Attributable to Bill Thorn, Public Sector Chief Technology Officer

"Protecting a hospital means protecting its ability to care for people. Through Project Lifeline 250, Trellix is proud to partner with Governor McMaster and Director Cairncross to bring agentic AI capabilities, such as Trellix Wise, to South Carolina's rural healthcare teams. By automating detection and response, we empower dedicated security teams to respond faster, lowering operational burden and strengthening defenses where resources are most needed. Our goal is simple: to build lasting resilience so that a cyber incident never becomes a delay in patient care."

Zscaler

Attributable to Jay Chaudhry, CEO, Chairman, and Founder

"Zscaler proudly joins Project Lifeline 250 to help resource-constrained rural hospitals defend against cyberattacks so they can focus on caring for patients and saving lives. Zscaler brings extensive experience protecting healthcare systems worldwide to rural hospitals, where a single attack can cut a community off from its nearest emergency care."


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