A coalition of major tech groups on Monday demanded that Congress send funds to state and local governments to defend against cyberattacks as part of the next coronavirus stimulus bill.

The Internet Association; BSA, the Software Alliance; CompTIA; the Cyber Threat Alliance; the Cybersecurity Coalition; the Global Cyber Alliance; the Alliance for Digital Innovation; and the Information Technology Industry Council sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiAs families deal with coronavirus, new federal dollars should follow the student Sunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates Hypocrisy rules on both sides over replacing Justice Ginsburg MORE (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyTrump asked Chamber of Commerce to reconsider Democratic endorsements: report The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - White House moves closer to Pelosi on virus relief bill Trump's sharp words put CDC director on hot seat MORE (R-Calif.) demanding that cybersecurity funds be made a priority in future congressional funding packages.

The technology groups represent Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Adobe, Verizon, McAfee, Palo Alto Networks and many other leading cybersecurity organizations.

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“The rise in malicious cyberattacks targeting State and local entities, combined with the chronic lack of workforce, patchwork legacy systems, under-sourced cybersecurity and IT services, and uneven federal assistance creates a greater risk of system failures that interrupts services on which State and local populations depend,” the groups wrote.

The groups pointed to particular concerns around the uptick in ransomware attacks over the past year on state and local government groups, with hackers locking up systems and demanding payment.

These types of attacks have brought the governments of Baltimore, Atlanta and New Orleans to their knees in the past two years, along with small governments, libraries and school districts nationwide.

The tech groups cited concerns that hospitals would be the next target of these attacks, an issue that experts have increasingly sounded the alarm over.

“This was the reality before COVID-19,” the groups wrote. “Things have become considerably worse in the months since.”

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In order to address potential cyber vulnerabilities at the state and local level, the groups asked that Pelosi, McCarthy and other congressional leaders zero in on cybersecurity and make appropriating funding to boost defenses a priority in the next coronavirus stimulus bill.

The letter from the tech groups was sent a week after House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson Bennie Gordon ThompsonSenate to hold nomination hearing for Wolf next week Hillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers FBI director calls antifa 'a real thing' MORE (D-Miss.) and a group of other House Democrats also urged the House to fund cybersecurity defense at the state and local levels.

The House Democrats, who also included Reps. Cedric Richmond Cedric Levon RichmondRep. Cedric Richmond set to join House Ways and Means Committee Biden campaign ratchets up courting of Black voters, specifically Black men Buttigieg, former officials added to Biden's transition team MORE (La.), Dutch Ruppersberger Charles (Dutch) Albert RuppersbergerHillicon Valley: 'Fortnite' owner sues Apple after game is removed from App Store | Federal agencies seize, dismantle cryptocurrency campaigns of major terrorist organizations Lawmakers introduce bill designating billion to secure state and local IT systems Lawmakers introduce legislation to establish national cybersecurity director MORE (Md.), and Derek Kilmer Derek Christian KilmerLawmakers fear voter backlash over failure to reach COVID-19 relief deal Clark rolls out endorsements in assistant Speaker race Pelosi digs in as pressure builds for COVID-19 deal MORE (Wash.), asked that Pelosi and McCarthy consider sending states “cybersecurity assistance grants” to ensure networks stay up and running during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The American public is counting on State and local jurisdictions to implement and deliver COVID-19 relief packages approved by Congress,” the members wrote. “Any disruption in the delivery of services would only compound the strain on State and local governments struggling to effectively serve their citizens in the midst of a global pandemic. We cannot let that happen.”

Hackers have stepped up efforts to target both organizations and individuals during the ongoing pandemic. Cybersecurity groups have reported spikes in malicious emails tied to coronavirus issues and agencies such as the World Health Organization and the Department of Health and Human Services being targeted by attacks.

Some of the tech groups that sent the letter Monday sent a similar request to Capitol Hill last week asking that Congress fund information technology (IT) and cybersecurity issues that have surfaced during the pandemic.

The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill signed into law by President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE last month included some funding for IT modernization and $9.1 million to boost the capabilities of the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency.