Cyberattacks are occurring with alarming frequency, and local government agencies need a communications strategy in place when the inevitable happens. A recent cyberattack in Atlanta caused most municipal departments to go offline for two weeks or longer, and ongoing recovery costs have now topped $20 million.
Local agencies are a favorite target since they often haven’t created safeguards. Think about what can happen if a cyberattacker seizes control of your data and your systems, whether it’s theft and public release of information or a ransomware hostage situation.
Resident/customer information, billing and payment systems, 911 dispatch, human resources and payroll records, legal documents, traffic controls, and countless others can go offline or become inaccessible in an instant.
Communications is at the top of a successful cyberattack response – along with a clear pre-crisis understanding of all agency database vulnerabilities. Your organization’s leaders and communicators are just as important as those who investigate what happened and restore services. SAE can help you craft a cyberattack communications response, prioritize your public communication when you’re under attack, and increase confidence that your agency is taking the right steps to recover.
Check out this article by Scott which appeared as the cover story in Western City Magazine.
Click the image above to read Scott’s Western
City Magazine article regarding best practices
before, during and after a cyberattack.