City governments, county offices, and local utilities have become some of the most frequent victims of cyberattacks. From ransomware outbreaks shutting down police systems to billing departments going offline for days, the trend is no longer isolated — it’s nationwide.
Why attackers are focusing on municipalities
A few factors make cities attractive targets:
- Legacy systems that are difficult to update
Many municipalities run 10–20-year-old software that wasn’t built with modern security in mind. - Small IT teams managing large responsibilities
One or two staff can only handle so much. - Critical services that can’t afford downtime
Attackers know cities need to restore services fast — which increases the likelihood of ransom payment. - High-value data
Utilities, law enforcement systems, tax records, and permit databases are treasure troves for attackers.
How attacks typically occur
The attack vectors we’re seeing most:
- phishing emails to finance and administrative staff
- exposed RDP servers
- outdated servers and unpatched software
- weak or shared passwords
- unsupported operating systems
- poor network segmentation
Once attackers enter, they often move laterally for days before detonating ransomware.
The operational impact
A city hit with a cyberattack may experience:
- 911 dispatch delays
- police systems going offline
- utility billing outages
- water treatment disruptions
- city hall computers unusable for days
- loss of public trust
The downtime is expensive, but the disruption to public services is even worse.
What municipalities should be doing
Local government agencies don’t need enterprise budgets, but they do need a foundational security program that includes:
- Network and endpoint monitoring
Attacks almost always show signs before they trigger. - Segmentation of critical systems
Utilities, public safety, and administrative systems should not share the same flat network. - MFA for all remote access and admin accounts
Passwords alone won’t cut it. - Regular vulnerability assessments
Cities need to know what’s exposed before an attacker does. - Incident response planning
Know how to respond before something happens.
The bottom line
Municipalities are no longer niche targets. In 2019, they’re prime targets because attackers know cities often lack the staffing, funding, and modern tools required to stay ahead of threats. Protecting critical services has to become a priority — because the consequences of not doing so are too great.