Cyber security and local authorities

Covid-19 changed the world faster than anyone was prepared for and forced us to move to a digital way of working almost overnight. Hybrid and remote working plus an increased dependence on IT infrastructure has amplified the opportunities for cyber threat actors, particularly at times of conflict with nation-states testing the security boundaries of nearly every public sector organisation.

Organisations once felt protected by the boundaries of their offices, whereas now our homes are also considered within its boundaries.

The local authority sector has not been shielded from this change and the threats that have arisen. We have worked with a number of local authorities, including Hackney and Redcar that have been subject to major cyber-attacks, witnessing the significant impact it has on service users as well as management and reputation.

What does a cyber-attack on the local authority sector look like?

Accessing organisational data: The local authority sector stores significant sensitive data as well as being connected to a range of public sector bodies, making it a growing target for cybercriminals. Cybercriminals are profiting from the monetary value of data on the dark web.
Accessing client data: This allows a cybercriminal to potentially trick members of the public into paying for services to another account number.
Reputational damage: The loss and misuse of client data can result in loss of revenue from fines, or loss of public trust.
Loss of service provision: Distributed Denial of Service attacks or Ransomware attacks hinder the organisations ability to deliver or operate key services.

How is the local authority most likely to be attacked?

Your next question might be: how could attackers practically gain access to my systems? Although all IT systems exposed to the Internet are constantly being probed, phishing is the most common route into corporate systems. They can be incredibly specific to an individual (Spear Phishing) or opportunistic (Mass Phishing).

Most recently cybercriminals have used the Covid-19 narrative to deceive people into clicking links, taking advantage of fears, anxiety and emotions. All it takes is a single click on a wrong link or attachment for the attacker to compromise a computer and gain access to your internal network. The attacker can then leverage this access for an array of hostile activities like ransomware deployment or tricking the finance department to pay fake invoices.

How to increase your cyber security posture

Fortunately, organisations have access to a number of solutions to help them reduce these risks. Before you kick off tactical solutions and spend public money on various products, it is wise to first revise your IT and cyber strategy. IT and cyber should support your organisation as it continues to evolve. For example, you may want to facilitate more agile and remote working practices and culture. In this case; now might be the right time to introduce or, increase cloud solutions and software as a service to your organisation. You may have already deployed them at short notice and now wish to ensure they are also securely configured.

Phishing is the main entrance to your systems for attackers, organisations may wish to organise a simulated phishing exercise to see how staff respond to a suspicious email or link and whether any further training is required.
A penetration test can assess how well protected you are against the most common of attacks. A more advanced test like Red teaming engagement will not only test your infrastructure but also how your security teams and staff respond to cyberattacks, how quickly is it detected and whether you have sufficient incident response plans in place. Red teaming works by and uses genuine tactics, techniques and procedures used in the majority of cyberattacks.

Quick wins for increasing your security

Confirm that all firmware and software within your organisation is up to date (not only Windows but also third-party applications) and that they are checked on a regular basis.
Check your password complexity and renewal policies. Enable two-factor authentication, especially of login interfaces exposed to the Internet.
Microsoft offers useful guidance for Office 365 security that can help to secure your organisation (ask your IT manager to provide you with your security score from the Office 365 portal).
The National Cyber Security Centre, part of the UK Government Cyber Headquarters has some fantastic advice to help you to secure your organisation. Once you are comfortable with their implementation, it is worth seeking independent assurance that you have done it right.

Attackers have adapted to the new environment and you should do the same for your IT and security, to support your organisation. With the focus on working from home, senior management of many organisations have taken a greater interest in IT and security and so an excellent opportunity to leverage their sponsorship and, achieve a more efficient and secure IT.

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Cyber security & advisory

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