City, county and state leaders are seeking safety in numbers as they band together to combat the increase in cyber attacks that have been targeting municipal governments. A new report outlines programs that show particular promise in their collaboration approaches and offers tips for state officials who want to partner with local counterparts on cybersecurity.
The National Governors Association and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) released the report, titled “Stronger Together: State and Local Cybersecurity Collaboration,” on Jan. 15, less than two months after a ransomware attack affected Louisiana government servers. A ransomware that shut down Baltimore city servers last May could cost the city more than $18 million in restoration and repair costs.