Cybersecurity for Local Public Entities  

Why Cybersecurity is Important for Local Public Entities 

The potential impact of a successful cyberattack on a
municipality, public utility, school or local government
entity can be devastating, ranging from disrupted
services and financial losses to compromised
sensitive information and erosion of public trust.

• Highly Sensitive and Valuable Data: Municipalities possess large amounts of sensitive data attractive to
  hackers, including personal information of residents (e.g., social security
  #’s, tax records) and infrastructure data (e.g., billing systems, surveillance).
• Fragile Infrastructure, Limited Technical Resources, and Lack of Knowledge: Many local governments struggle with outdated IT infrastructure, limited cybersecurity budgets, and a lack of cybersecurity awareness. 67% report insufficient cybersecurity measures due to budget constraints, and 60% lack cybersecurity training programs.
• Disruption of Services: Many essential services, such as emergency response systems, public transportation, power
  grids, and water supply rely on digital infrastructure that can be crippled under a cyberattack.
• Public Trust and Confidence: A cyberattack can erode the integrity of local governments and public trust. This can include fraud, whereby hackers can expose voter registration databases and ballot processing, and manipulate election results.