Cybersecurity Resilience

Cybersecurity resilience is the capacity of broadband networks, critical infrastructure systems, and information technology to withstand, adapt to, and rapidly recover from cyberattacks while maintaining essential operations and data integrity. Cybersecurity resilience encompasses defensive measures preventing unauthorized network access, threat detection capabilities identifying intrusions in real-time, incident response protocols containing breaches, and disaster recovery procedures restoring normal infrastructure function.

The FY 2027 R&D memorandum positions cybersecurity resilience as forward-looking critical infrastructure protection, directing agencies to ensure the nation is prepared with post-quantum cryptography to defend against emerging threats from quantum computing—not merely current cyberattack vectors.

BEAD Program implementation operationalizes cybersecurity resilience through requirements that subgrantees maintain cybersecurity risk management plans reflecting the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. These plans must be reevaluated periodically and updated as the threat landscape evolves, creating ongoing compliance obligations that expect continuous security improvement throughout the funded broadband network's operational lifetime.