Top Security ThreatsFacing LocalGovernments Today

Cyber threats targeting governments increased by 95% worldwide in the second half of 2022 — a fact that is no surprise to the thousands of government IT leaders continually feeling the pressure of evolving security risks from cyber-extortionists, malware advancements, and hacktivist groups. Local governments are prime targets for cybercriminals seeking unauthorized access to sensitive data or disrupting public services. Ransomware attacks, data breaches, and phishing attempts are prevalent security realities for communities of every size and scale. 

What complicates the tapestry of cybersecurity is the reality that the minds behind such attacks routinely aim to identify new and nefarious ways to infiltrate systems and access data for extortion or financial gain. What follows are the greatest threats to security local governments face today — some new, some perpetual — as well as recommended best practices for mitigating such risks.

Unintentional Human Error

Human error is the leading cause of 95% of cyber security breaches, and the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information or intentional sabotage can lead to significant security breaches. Recurring staff training on policies and expectations for the safe transmission of data and the use of interconnected systems can mitigate such risks.

Malware

Across all industries and sectors in 2022, malware saw a rapid resurgence from its seven-year low in 2021—climbing to an astonishing 2.8 billion attacks. In 2022, the top three malware-attacked states were Florida (140.1 million attacks), California (140 million attacks), and New York (133.5 million attacks).

To reduce the chances of a malware attack and as part of regular employee training, local governments can conduct simulated phishing exercises to test and reinforce employees’ ability to identify and report potential threats. Training should also cover best practices for regularly updating and patching software, using strong and unique passwords, and employing multi-factor authentication.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack leverages numerous compromised computer systems as sources of attack traffic. These compromised devices encompass traditional computers and other network-connected resources like IoT devices. Such attacks can overwhelm government websites making critical services inaccessible to residents resulting in economic, social impacts and reputational damage.

Local governments can fortify their defenses against DDoS attacks by implementing robust traffic filtering and mitigation solutions. Further, by leveraging dedicated DDoS mitigation services or appliances, they can identify and filter out malicious traffic, allowing legitimate requests to reach their servers or network resources. These systems can detect anomalies in incoming traffic patterns and divert or absorb the excess traffic generated by an attack. By investing in such protective measures, local governments can maintain the availability of their digital services during a DDoS attack, ensuring uninterrupted access for residents and stakeholders.

New Attack Vectors Opening Up from Artificial Intelligence System

Unscrupulous users can leverage AI for malicious action. Hackers can employ AI algorithms to design and execute more sophisticated and evasive malware. AI-driven malware adapts to security measures, making it harder to detect and mitigate. Cybercriminals can also use AI to launch automated and highly targeted attacks at scale. For instance, hackers can use AI tools to create convincing phishing emails or launch credential-stuffing attacks to gain unauthorized access to government systems. 

Generative AI can also be used for misinformation, disinformation and malinformation campaigns. AI-generated deepfake videos and audio can be used to impersonate government officials or spread false information, leading to reputational damage or sowing confusion among the public.

To mitigate these risks, it is important to ensure that  IT leaders in local governments leverage AI-driven threat detection systems that can analyze vast amounts of data in real time to identify unusual patterns and behaviors indicative of a cyber attack. As with all systems, they should keep AI systems and software up-to-date with security patches, as hackers often target vulnerabilities in outdated software. Finally, government IT leaders should also add an incident response plan to their business continuity and crisis response model should AI tools be used in an attack.

How CivicPlus Protects Government and Resident Data and Systems

At CivicPlus®, we understand the critical role of security compliance in safeguarding our public sector customers. By leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS), we offer high-quality, scalable and resilient protections to mitigate the risk of cyber threats for local governments, ensuring their data, municipal website, and integrated systems are fortified and monitored. By running on AWS, CivicPlus provides local governments access to innovative security measures to protect their data and websites, reinforcing local government cybersecurity. 

As a trusted cloud service provider, AWS offers robust security features that support customers’ requirements to implement security and privacy controls. CivicPlus leverages the secure infrastructure of the AWS Cloud to host our customers’ websites and software, ensuring high availability and reliability while safeguarding against potential cyberattacks on local government.

Conclusion

Cyber threats will continue to evolve and increase over time requiring customers to be vigilant in their continuous monitoring and response of their infrastructure. As true of many risks, the best protections start with education and reputable vendors and system providers. By investing in cybersecurity education, local governments can empower their workforce to become a crucial line of defense against malware and other cyber threats.  Local Governments should also invest in an effective security program that supports best of breed frameworks such as, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF).