US Launches Cyber Pilot to Protect Rural Hospitals as Healthcare Breaches Hit Record High

The Office of the National Cyber Director in the United States has launched its second regional cyber pilot, this time aimed at rural hospitals. Called Project Lifeline 250, the six-month program was introduced in South Carolina by National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross. It follows an earlier pilot in Texas that linked industry with the water sector.

According to Cairncross, the program aims to help defend hospital networks, deploy physical backup devices after an incident so an affected hospital can still provide critical care, and identify high-risk and legacy devices so they can be replaced. The effort also involves the South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity program, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and local governments. Participating companies include Abnormal AI, Cisco, Cyera, Microsoft, Rilian Partners, Trellix and Zscaler, some of which also provided free services in the Texas pilot.

The need is clear. Last year was a record for healthcare breaches, with 804 large breaches reported to the US Department of Health and Human Services affecting more than 140 million people. The FBI named the sector the top target for ransomware and other attackers in 2025. Rural hospitals, like the water sector, have fewer resources than other kinds of critical infrastructure.