Municipal Ransomeware Attacks

Cyber security attacks are so prevalent that cities are now advised to disclose cyber security risks in bond offerings. 

The City of Columbus, Ohio’s state capital, threat actors accessed a treasure trove of sensitive information on over 500,000 residents living in the city.  With over 915,000 residents, the breach as exposed roughly 55% of the population. What is harder to quantify is the financial impact on the city and its residents. In one of the largest ransomware attacks on another US city, despite paying a $50,000 ransom, the city faced restoration costs that exceeded 2 million dollars.

A cyber-attack on a city or critical infrastructure can have devastating consequences for citizens, disrupting essential services and posing serious risks to their safety, economy, and daily life. American Water, the largest water utility in the U.S., revealed that it had been targeted in a cyberattack and had to shut down some systems including billing.

Investing in cyber resilience and proactive defense strategies is the best defense against cyber-attacks.  A proactive Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) plan to identify, assess, and mitigate security risks offers a real-time, ongoing approach to your cybersecurity framework, allowing you to maintain compliance and enhance threat response capabilities. In today’s digital world, where cyber risks are ever-changing, CTEM is a crucial strategy for ensuring long-term security and resilience against evolving cyber threats.

Cyber Knowledge Partners’ 4 step cyber resilience framework will create a proactive plan to safeguard your municipality and its critical digital infrastructure:

  •     Aligning your budget priorities with your investment

  •          Linking your risk profile with a security risk management program

  •          Ensuring cyber resilience is part of the fabric of governance

  •      Adding security metrics for individuals responsible for Municipal Governance with a dashboard as a strategic success measurement

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