The threat of cyberattacks is an unfortunate part of modern life. A cyberattack is an attempt to steal, expose, disable, or destroy information from an organization through computer systems.
Local governments face a severe cyber security problem that threatens to drain their funds, upend budgets, and disable services that the community is reliant on. The problem is becoming more of an issue every year.
While private industries are already hard at work improving their security systems, local governments still have a long way to go to protect themselves. Local government employees are not always aware of what steps they need to take to avoid security breaches, like being cautious about links and answering calls.
This article will walk through the importance of cyber security and help give local governments more ideas about how they can avoid cyberattacks.
Cyber Security Statistics
Government agencies are now one of the most targeted organizations for cyberattacks. Over 15% of cyberattacks in 2020 were targeted at local governments. Cybercriminals have become aware of the fact that if they can successfully attack a local government organization, they can threaten more areas and get a bigger payout.
The most severe problem comes in the form of ransomware, with nearly a 50% increase in the number of ransomware variants in 2020. Ransomware is malicious software that blocks or disables systems on a computer until a sum of money is paid. The increase in variants makes it difficult for anyone who is not an IT expert to protect their systems and avoid cyberattacks.
Small towns, large cities, and even rural areas are all in danger of cyberattacks. Cybercriminals have no problem targeting any local government organization to try to get money and cause havoc. In addition, with many local governments already struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this problem becomes even more insidious.
Cyber Threats: Obstacles Local Government Organizations Face
You might be wondering why local governments are becoming the new target of cyber criminals. The truth is that cybercriminals are well aware of the different obstacles that local government organizations face that make it hard for them to fend off security breaches and threats.
One challenge that municipal organizations face is that they are working with limited budgets and have a lack of funding. That means that they do not have the resources to pay for a robust cyber defense system, which makes them more vulnerable to ransomware attacks and hacking.
Another problem that local governments face is the lack of IT resources. There are not many local government organizations, especially small ones, with a full IT department. That means that their IT staff is spread very thin across many mission-critical projects and cannot dedicate resources to finding gaps in the security network or offering any improvements or recommendations that could help bulk up defenses.
Finally, many local governments are unaware that they are even at risk. Most municipal staff members are skilled at their jobs but have an apparent lack of knowledge regarding cyber awareness. That means that they lack training in how they can avoid falling for phishing schemes or accidentally allowing cybercriminals in.
Maintaining Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Compliance
Another area where local governments are often unprepared is with personally identifiable information (PII) compliance. While local agencies need to maintain cyber security, they also need to ensure that they are PII compliant.
When someone within an organization notices a problem and the local government organization does not take action, the municipality needs to be held liable. And if a local government takes any payments in the form of a credit card, they need to make sure that they are PCI compliant. Many municipalities are unaware of this type of compliance and why they need to have it.
It is also a problem when a government organization uses a free email service like Google. This can put the municipality at risk if the right tracking technology is not used.
Every email sent and received in the municipal organization needs to be tracked and archived to remain compliant. Meeting agendas, minutes, resolutions, and other information also needs to be made publicly available and accessible.
The 3 Most Common Ransomware Attacks
As mentioned earlier, ransomware is the most common type of cyberattack. However, there are many variations of ransomware, which can make it challenging to track and defend against. And the details of cyberattacks are often different from case to case, which adds complication to the question of what can be done to reduce ransomware attacks and prevent damages.
There are three main types of ransomware to watch out for:
- Ryuk
- CryptoLocker
- Cryptowall
The Average Financial Loss
Local communities are dependent on their local governments for a large number of essential services. When a cyberattack occurs, it can be a devastating experience. A cyberattack can disable important systems for sometimes weeks and months, leaving local communities desperate for assistance and detached from the essential government services they need.
The average cost of these attacks varies, but most ransomware attacks will try to get the majority of a government organization's funds. The average payment has nearly doubled, and the ransom is only increasing as the number of attacks on local governments has increased.
How Local Governments Can Prevent Ransomware Attacks
The best course of action for any local government is to try to prevent a cyberattack. Once a cyberattack has occurred, your options are limited, so prevention is always the best idea.
By avoiding a cyberattack, you can prevent millions of dollars’ worth of damages and avoid being put in a vulnerable position by cyber criminals who are looking to install ransomware on your computer systems.
Data Backup: Become Ransomware Proof
A data backup plan is a great way to avoid being caught off guard by a ransomware attack. When you have a data backup plan, you can prevent data loss and the crippling of your computer systems by cyber criminals and become ransomware proof should a cybercriminal attack your local municipality.
Managed Security Services
While your municipality might not have the resources for an internal IT department, you can consider a managed security company to help protect your local government systems.
Managed services can help you reduce risks and uncover potential areas of concern or vulnerability before it becomes a severe threat. These third-party experts can monitor your systems and provide solutions.
Take a Proactive Approach
Local government organizations are responsible for being proactive to the risk of a cyberattack. Rather than waiting for an attack to occur, a municipality can take steps to prevent an attack by looking for antivirus solutions, patching and fixing internal systems, or finding managed IT and security services to maintain and manage systems.
You can also look closely at compliance laws and plan for future regulations that will need to be met. This can help secure your systems now and avoid vulnerabilities and fines in the future.
Regular Risk Assessments
Taking the time to assess your systems and potential risks is another way local government organizations can protect themselves against cyberattacks.
Hiring a third party to conduct a network security assessment every few years can help you find any unnoticed gaps or potential breaches in your network that you might not have known about beforehand. This can also help you maintain compliance and avoid risks like fines.
Clear Separation between Network Components
When systems are too connected, it allows cybercriminals to find more potential opportunities to breach your systems and install ransomware.
When you have a clear separation of your networks, servers, and digital environments, you can ensure that the different aspects of a local government organization are separated. This helps to mitigate any damages should a ransomware attack occur.
Cyber Security Basics
Every organization should follow a few security basics. These solutions are often low-cost and can help protect against potential threats. Things like strong password requirements, limited employee access to systems, and other security basics can help you maintain compliance and avoid potential risks and breaches in your systems.
Cyber Liability Insurance
Cyber liability insurance can help cover the cost of damages in the case of a cyberattack. Purchasing a cyber-liability insurance policy can protect your local government organization as well as the employees of that organization and the people who are served by the municipality.
HIPAA Compliance (Where Applicable)
HIPAA compliance is a big deal for everyone involved in healthcare, and that includes any local governments that have a dedicated health department.
When you protect personal medical information and maintain HIPAA compliance, you can make sure that you are doing what you can to protect that same information from cybercriminals. HIPAA compliance is an essential part of running a local government, and remaining compliant is vital for any municipality.
How Local Governments can Prevent Security Breaches
While ransomware is the most common type of cyberattack, other security breaches need to be protected against. Cybercriminals do not always want a ransom in return for your systems; they sometimes are looking to steal essential data like bank accounts, personal information, and other secure data.
Here are some tips on how you can help prevent a security breach in your local government organization.
Establish Clear Cyber Security Policies and Procedures
One of the most efficient and effective ways to prevent a security breach is to have clear cyber security policies and procedures.
This means that you have a protocol and procedure in place for any type of attack like malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. When there is a plan in place, you can observe and modify your plans as necessary and know how to report and respond to security incidents.
Implement Comprehensive Security Solutions
There is no way to avoid it: if you want to protect your local government organization from cyberattacks, you need a security solution to safeguard your IT infrastructure and systems.
When you have active security monitoring and protections in place, you can protect yourself against a cyber-security breach and increase the chances of having your employees comply with the regulations.
Business Continuity and Backup Solutions
Just as with ransomware attacks, having backup and continuity plans in place can help protect your organization in the case of a security breach. When you have backup solutions in place, you do not have to be as worried by the loss of data.
You can quickly get your organization or municipality up and running after a security breach has hit you without having to be vulnerable to cybercriminals.
Train Your Staff on Cyber Security Best Practices
Staff training is another important step in avoiding a cyberattack. When your staff is trained in cyber security protocols, they know what to do when faced with a potential scam like a phishing attack or a request for access to a critical system.
When your staff is prepared, they will take up an active role in helping avoid security breaches and being on the lookout for any cyber security attacks.
Regular Update to Your Software and Hardware
Old and outdated software and hardware can make you more vulnerable to a security breach. You also update antivirus software, IDS and IPS systems, and your firewalls when you update your systems.
It often seems easier to ignore software updates and go on as normal, but this can put you at risk of a cyberattack. Updating with the latest patches as soon as they are available or at the soonest available date can help make sure that your IT systems are secure.
Create a Contingency Plan
Even with all the best securities and systems in place, there is still a chance of a cyberattack or security breach. Having a contingency plan in place is the best way to be prepared if a security breach occurs.
The plan will have guidance in place and include the procedures that need to be followed to mitigate any damage done by a cyber-criminal. The plan needs to have specific instructions and should have recommendations in place for data recovery.
Protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
As mentioned earlier, protecting personally identifiable information (PII) is important. This helps ensure that when someone gives a municipality their personal information, it is properly protected, and the public knows that their data is secure.
This also protects the safety of your employees and staff and makes sure that your organization is not liable for not being compliant with requirements.
Direct Strategies
Having direct strategies helps local governments and municipalities be prepared for cyberattacks and makes sure that there are training steps in place. Having security training included in employee onboarding, offering regular classes and education to your staff, and helping create a security-focused environment in local governments can all help prevent security breaches and attacks.
What Do These Security Breaches Mean for the Public?
Cyber security is a very real issue that local governments need to address. When there is a data breach or ransomware attack, a significant financial loss can deliver a big hit to local governments.
Because local governments often store sensitive information, they are a target of cybercriminals. And because this sensitive information is often not protected very securely, local governments become an even more enticing target to cyber criminals.
Communities and local governments often store citizens' personal information, meaning that the public should be aware and concerned about the potential of a security breach or cyber-attack in their local government. It is important that a local government agency or organization can assure the public that they are doing everything they can to prevent a cyberattack, take the right steps to ensure that their personal information is safe, and secure.