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Challenges
- Increasing sophistication and frequency of cyber attacks targeting local government
- Growing reliance on digital services and the need to protect sensitive data
- Limited resources and budget constraints in local government
- Rapidly evolving threat landscape requiring constant adaptation
- Balancing security measures with user accessibility and productivity
Approach
The strategy is built around five key pillars:
- Identify: Develop an understanding of systems, assets, data, and capabilities to manage cyber security risks.
- Protect: Implement appropriate safeguards to ensure delivery of critical infrastructure services.
- Detect: Implement activities to identify the occurrence of cyber security events.
- Respond: Take action regarding a detected cyber security event.
- Recover: Maintain plans for resilience and restore capabilities or services impaired by cyber security events.
Key elements of the approach include:
- Implementing the NCSC’s 10 Steps to Cyber Security framework
- Conducting regular risk assessments and penetration testing
- Enhancing staff awareness and training programs
- Improving incident response and business continuity planning
- Strengthening supply chain security measures
- Adopting cloud-based security solutions
Outcomes and benefits
- Enhanced protection of council data and services
- Improved resilience against cyber attacks
- Increased staff awareness and competence in cyber security
- Better alignment with national and international security standards
- Cost-effective security improvements through shared resources and knowledge
- Improved ability to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents
Lessons learnt
- The importance of a holistic approach to cyber security
- The need for continuous improvement and adaptation to evolving threats
- The value of collaboration and knowledge sharing among partner organizations
- The critical role of staff awareness and training in maintaining a strong security posture