Last year, a town next door got hit with a ransomware attack. Their emergency system went offline. Payroll was frozen. Public records were locked down. It took six weeks and thousands of taxpayer dollars to recover.
What went wrong? Their security wasn’t up to date, and they didn’t have a solid backup plan.
Cyberattacks on municipalities are increasing, but the good news is that most of them are preventable with the right protections in place. Here’s a simple checklist to help your town gauge its risk and take action before it’s too late.
✅ The Essential Municipal IT Security Checklist
- Stronger Cybersecurity Measures
Municipal governments handle vast amounts of sensitive data—from resident records to emergency response plans. A single weak link can put the entire system at risk.
- Reliable Backup & Disaster Recovery
A cyberattack, natural disaster, or hardware failure can bring a town’s entire operation to a halt. Reliable backups ensure that services can be restored quickly.
- 24/7 Network Monitoring & Threat Detection
Municipal networks are constant targets for cybercriminals. Monitoring threats in real-time allows IT teams to respond before they become full-scale incidents.
- Compliance & Risk Management
Municipalities must comply with numerous regulations, from data protection laws to criminal justice security standards. Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines and security vulnerabilities.
- IT Infrastructure & Reliability
Aging IT infrastructure can lead to downtime, inefficiencies, and increased security risks. Modernizing municipal IT ensures reliability and cost-effectiveness in the long run.
What’s Next?
If you checked all the boxes, great! Your municipality is ahead of the game. If not, now’s the time to take action—because waiting until after an attack happens is never a good strategy.
Need help securing your town’s IT? We specialize in protecting municipalities across WNY and can help assess your risk before disaster strikes.
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Don't wait until a threat strikes to protect your organization from cybersecurity breaches. Download our free cybersecurity essentials checklist and take the first step toward securing your digital assets.
With up-to-date information and a strategic plan, you can rest assured that your cybersecurity essentials are covered.
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