Employees at all levels of government and across departments must get cyber security awareness training and develop the necessary behaviors, habits, knowledge, and compliance mechanisms to safeguard sensitive information and systems.
FREMONT, CA: Local governments with out-of-date information technology infrastructure are easy targets for ransomware attacks and malware infections. As a result, hackers will target unprepared government workers via email phishing scams, stolen passwords, or malware to access and steal sensitive and essential government data or lock down critical systems required for operations and services.
Without proper training, any government official can make the harmless but possibly fatal error of clicking on a phishing email or website link. That is why government staff must understand the proper methods for preventing cyberattacks and be informed and engaged on the subject.
Here are several cyber security challenges for local governments in which municipal employees should be trained:
Utilize cloud-based software: Governments that save on-site data face a considerably more significant risk of being struck by ransomware. They are substantially easier to break into and do not maintain cloud-based backups. Municipal employees must make the switch to simple-to-use cloud-based government management software and swiftly train personnel on how to use it to ensure that the data is secure and recoverable. Additionally, on-premises servers are far more expensive to maintain and update with security patches. In contrast, cloud-based systems may automatically receive the provider's latest security updates and patches.
Safe government email systems: Municipal employees must ensure that the government's email software is secure and that municipal employees only use their work email for official purposes.
Secure passwords for email accounts: It's incredible how many individuals continue to use the password 'password.' Municipal employees should be urged to adopt strong passwords that include capital letters, digits, and symbols to stave off hackers.
Utilize Two-Factor Authentication: According to an examination of the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline, hackers gained access to the company's network by exploiting a hacked login and password that did not use multi-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication, which sends a code to the user's phone, which the user then enters on the login page, ensures that the person logging into the system is who they claim to be and is qualified to do so.
Avoid malware-infected downloads: Sometimes, hackers will lure victims into downloading anything, such as a free song or movie, to infecting their computers with malware or harmful software. Instruct government staff to avoid clicking on or downloading files from questionable links.
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