Almost two thirds of senior managers in councils across the UK admit that their cybersecurity approach is outdated.
In a survey of more than 500 local authority senior managers and 2,000 residents, only a quarter ranked cybersecurity in their top three priorities despite over half stating they could not afford the cost of a data breach.
Published by technology provider TechnologyOne, the poll also found that while 79% of residents believe the online experience with their council is secure, two fifths of councils (38%) think the opposite.
Leo Hanna, executive vice president at TechnologyOne in the UK, said: ‘As we have seen over the last few years, cyber attacks on councils are costly for taxpayers and pose a threat to democracy. This is why we are calling on the Government to provide funding to help local authorities invest in modern IT systems that act as a first line of defence against cyber criminals.’
UK councils were hit by 10,000 cyber attacks every day in August 2022, a 14% rise from the previous year.
According to the latest figures by the Information Commissioner’s Office, local authorities reported 203 data breaches between April and June in the first quarter of the 2022/23 financial year, rising from 155 in the three months prior.
Gloucester City Council has recently been commended for doing ‘remarkably well’ following a cyber attack.
