The risk of cyber threats to business is high, but when your stakeholders include citizens, the impact of successful breaches have far wider implications. In the first half of 2019 local councils faced 263 million cyber-attacks (Gallagher, 2020) and the Government sector was found to be the 6th most targeted sector in the IBM X -Force Threat Intelligence Index, 2020, signalling councils are very much in the cross-hairs of cyber criminals. We’ll take a look at the top cyber security challenges facing local government in an already complicated world.

It is no secret that the Government and public services organisations have been significantly challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst trying to deliver their primary mandate of protecting citizens and providing services to enhance daily life, they have also had to accelerate Digital Transformations, often unplanned, to meet the needs of their staff and citizens.