Cutting-Edge Security Solutions That Fortify Websites

The pace of digital transformation in local government services has vastly accelerated over the last several years, primarily due to changing resident expectations. These days, an increasing number of individuals seek online access to local government information and services, which makes it crucial for agencies to focus on digital accessibility, efficiency, and, above all, security.

To meet this demand, agencies are investing in user-friendly platforms, mobile-first designs, and data-driven decision-making tools. However, with greater reliance on online interactions, cybersecurity for municipal websites has become more important than ever. While these advancements improve efficiency and help meet community expectations, they also introduce new risks, making local governments increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats.

In this article, we explore the growing need for digital security, examine emerging threats, evolving trends, and best practices to strengthen your agency’s online presence.

The Increasing Need for Robust Digital Security in Local Government

Vast amounts of sensitive data are highly attractive to cybercriminals, so your security measures need to be strong to avoid an attack that puts resident information at risk.

Here are five risks to be aware of to safeguard your agency’s online presence:

5 Risks of Insufficient Cybersecurity Measures

1. Data Breaches and Identity Theft

Without strong security on your government website, hackers can gain access to sensitive data like Social Security numbers, payment information, and home addresses. These attacks often result in identity theft, financial fraud, and potential fines for agencies.

For example, Oakland, California, experienced a significant data breach in 2023 affecting residents’ personal information, including Social Security and driver’s license numbers. Those affected were notified and offered compensation as part of a class-action settlement. Payments varied depending on the documented losses for each affected resident.

2. Disruption of Essential Services

Insufficient cybersecurity can result in ransomware or distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that disrupt critical government services like emergency response systems, public health communications, utilities (e.g., water or electricity), and tax collection, causing confusion and impacting public safety.

In September 2023, a ransomware attack on the computer system for Hinds County, which includes the city of Jackson, Mississippi, led to the closure of some government offices while the system was right-sized. In the summer of 2024, Columbus, Ohio experienced a ransomware attack where thousands of residents had their personal data compromised. Several government agencies across the state of Alabama experienced a DDoS attack in March 2024. These scenarios show how hackers can use simple techniques to control government computer systems and highlight that many local agencies are not adequately protected.

3. Loss of Community Trust

Following a cyberattack, it’s not uncommon for residents to lose confidence in their government’s ability to protect their personal information and keep services from being affected. A 2024 report found that 66% of consumers in the U.S. would not trust a company that suffered a data breach attack, with 44% believing cyber incidents result from a lack of security measures.

Trust plays a key role in community engagement, and a cyber attack can damage residents’ perception of your agency. Prioritizing cybersecurity is essential to building and maintaining trust.

4. Legal and Regulatory Consequences

Local government agencies like yours are required to comply with data protection regulations such as state-level privacy laws and federal guidelines. For instance, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), which mandates adequate security measures be implemented to protect government data systems, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which both have strict guidelines for data processing and consent to enhance privacy protection.

Violations of these laws and regulations often lead to legal action, fines, and the loss of government funding or grants.

5. More Attacks

Once a municipal website is compromised, it becomes an easier target for future attacks, including advanced persistent threats (APTs). Attackers may exploit weaknesses in the system to launch more sophisticated cyberattacks or gain access to additional networks connected to your existing infrastructure in the future.

Related Read: The Top Four Security Threats Facing Local Governments Today

Digital Security Trends in Local Government

While cyber threats and attacks are on the rise, so are advancements in digital security. Key trends that are helping change the security landscape for government websites include:

• Ransomware Resilience: Proactive strategies, processes, and technologies help minimize the impact of ransomware incidents and ensure service continuity.
• AI and Machine Learning for Cybersecurity: Advancing technologies can provide targeted analysis to detect anomalies and predict potential weak points, improving response times so your agency can minimize risks.
• Zero-Trust Security Models: A system that requires continuous verification of a user’s identity, access permissions, and security status for granting access. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a typical example.
• Transport Layer Security (TLS) Encryption: A protocol that secures communications over a computer network using encryption. Websites with “HTTPS” in the URL have TLS encryption and are safer than those without.

4 Best Practices for Strengthening Digital Security in Municipal Websites

1. Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to find weak spots in your security protocols and stay ahead of evolving threats.
2. Proactively update websites and apply patches (or fixes) to systems that address vulnerabilities, bugs, or gaps in current security measures.
3. Implement periodic cybersecurity training for your staff, with a focus on how to detect things like phishing attacks to help prevent breaches.
4. Deploy strong access controls and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect against unauthorized access.

How CivicPlus® Leads the Charge in Local Government Cybersecurity

At CivicPlus, we understand your need to provide digital services while mitigating security threats or a potential breach. With the latest risks, trends, and best practices in mind, our advanced security solutions can help protect your website in all the ways needed.

Our Municipal Websites solution integrates multi-layered security protocols, data encryption, and secure hosting and portals to help minimize potential risks. We also ensure compliance with privacy laws such as GDPR, CCPA, and other federal, state, and local privacy regulations.

We’re focused on helping agencies like yours defend against cyberattacks with continuous monitoring and real-time threat detection. We maintain 99.9% up-time for our solutions, and our customer websites are monitored 24/7/365. On top of this, our best-in-class hosting infrastructure and data encryption will keep your website secure end to end. To round it all out, we offer robust customer support and expert guidance to help you navigate security changes in real time.

Keep Your Government Website Ahead of Emerging Threats

Ensuring your government website is secure is paramount to protecting your agency and community against attacks. From maintaining resident trust and your credibility to ensuring there are no disruptions to services, there’s a lot at stake if you don’t get security right.

Selecting the right website provider is increasingly vital to ensuring your long-term digital security. Take a self-guided tour of our Municipal Websites solution to learn more today.