Cyberattacks on local government in the U.S. have increased dramatically over the last several years. In 2019 alone, ransomware affected more than 100 state and local governments, according to Recorded Future — and that’s just one threat vector. Municipalities are also at risk from insider threats, coordinated attacks and other perils.
What is it about municipal organizations and local governments that makes them such attractive targets for threat actors? Why are cybercriminals directing greater attention and resources toward attacking them?
In short, local governments are extremely attractive targets because they store valuable data on government operations and the citizens they serve, they lack adequate funding and skills in their information security programs, and they often have to yield to criminals’ demands to ensure critical services stay online.
Let’s dive deeper and explore some of the factors that contribute to this situation.
Attackers Are After Treasure Troves of Valuable Data
Municipalities collect and store large amounts of data encompassing many sensitive pieces of information. This includes personally identifiable information (PII) like Social Security numbers, birth dates and driver’s license numbers, employee payroll information, banking details used by residents for electronic payments, credit card data for both individuals and businesses, court records, and many other forms of information that criminals can exploit for malicious purposes after a successful cyberattack.
Criminals love this kind of data because much of it doesn’t change regularly, which means if they steal it, they can “age it” like a fine wine. For example, even if a government ..
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