Is Your City Falling Behind in Cybersecurity? Here’s How to Catch Up!
If we were to take a theoretical time machine back to the year 1965, it would be nearly impossible to explain the level of technological advancement we’ve achieved today. How do you tell someone from that era that within just a few decades, the average person would have access to wireless internet, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and devices that fit the knowledge of the entire world into the palm of their hand? Even more baffling (and perhaps troubling) would be the concept of AI tools like ChatGPT or the idea of using our fingertips to interact with digital devices (and lets not even get started on biometric technology).
But perhaps the most difficult truth wouldn’t be the technology itself; it would be that many of our leaders, particularly in local government, never properly prepared for the threats these innovations would bring. The ever expanding gap between rapidly evolving cyber threats and the security infrastructure of public organizations is especially pronounced in municipal governments.
While private companies have the agility and freedom to adopt new policies, hire specialized security teams, and invest in cutting-edge protective technology, local governments are often halted by budget limitations, administrative delays, and a lack of cybersecurity awareness at the leadership level. As a result, cities and states tend to lag behind when it comes to implementing effective digital defense strategies.
This imbalance creates a dangerous vulnerability. For a private company, a security breach might result in financial loss, reputational damage, and legal consequences. But for a local government, the stakes are often much higher: a ransomware attack could disrupt emergency response systems, compromise citizen data, or even shut down essential services like water and power. A weak or nonexistent security policy doesn’t just put digital assets at risk, it threatens public safety and trust.
While both cities and companies handle sensitive data, local governments are unique in their responsibility to serve and protect communities at a larger scale. They’re the “guardians” of critical infrastructure, public records, and interconnected digital systems that citizens rely on daily. And yet, many still operate without a formalized security framework leaving their networks patchworked with outdated software, undertrained staff, and reactive incident response plans.
This is where internationally recognized frameworks like NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 and ISO/IEC 27001 come in. These frameworks offer structured, scalable, and risk-based approaches to information security that can help municipalities not only defend against known threats but also build resilience for the unknown. Unlike ad-hoc policies or checklist-based compliance, these frameworks emphasize governance, continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based decision-making critical elements for public entities charged with protecting both digital infrastructure and public trust.
Getting started with these frameworks doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Cities can begin by performing a self-assessment aligned with NIST CSF 2.0 or ISO 27001 for example, to identify their current “maturity” level. From there, they can prioritize policies based on risk, assign roles and responsibilities, and develop a roadmap and improvement plans for long-term compliance and digital protection. Partnering with external assessors or consultants can also help local governments translate these frameworks into actionable, realistic policies custom made for their size and structure.
In the year 2025, the threat landscape isn’t just speculative, it's immediate and inevitable. Cyberattacks on local governments have already led to stolen election data, shutdowns of 911 systems, and the exposure of entire populations’ personal information. Ignoring cybersecurity is no longer an option.
So the real question becomes: If cities exist to protect their people why wouldn’t they also protect their data?