Global Conflicts and Cybersecurity: What Local Governments Should Know

Guest post by Christian Torkelson, LMCIT cybersecurity loss control consultant

While cyber operations between nations often make headlines, their effects can reach far beyond national governments. Local governments operate critical infrastructure that can be targets of cyber activity or collateral damage during international cyber conflicts.

Water treatment systems, utilities, emergency dispatches, and city administrative networks all rely on digital systems. When global cyber tensions rise, these local systems can face increased risk.

Countries around the world routinely conduct cyber operations against each other. These activities fall into several broad categories:

 Intelligence Gathering
Governments attempt to access networks to collect information about military capabilities, government planning, economic activity, and technological developments.

Preparation for Conflict
By disrupting communications, damaging infrastructure systems, or creating confusion in target networks, cyber operations can weaken an opponent’s ability to coordinate defensive or offensive operations.

Propaganda, Honor, and Influence
Demonstrating cyber capabilities can help governments project strength to their people, intimidate adversaries, or influence populations in targeted countries.

Economic Pressure
Cyberattacks in key industry sectors can expose supply chain vulnerabilities and provide leverage where threats of disruption may be a deterrent to escalation.

Cyber operations will continue to be an attractive option because they carry lower immediate risk compared to traditional escalation tactics. It can also be difficult to determine who is responsible for a cyberattack. This uncertainty gives governments a degree of plausible deniability when conducting operations.

Practical Steps Cities Can Take to Reduce Risk

The good news is that many of the most effective cybersecurity defenses are also the simplest.

Local governments and municipal utilities should focus on reducing exposure to internet-based attacks and increasing resilience to IT disruptions. Key steps include:

Keep Systems Updated
Ensure that operating systems, software, and device firmware are regularly patched and updated, especially for systems that are accessible from the internet. Remove end-of-life devices from service and remediate any known vulnerabilities in exposed systems.

Plan for Manual Operations
Critical public services such as water treatment, energy delivery, and emergency communications should have continuity plans that allow manual operations if computer systems or automation control become unavailable. Make sure employees and staff are trained in these alternative operational workflows.

Isolate Critical Infrastructure 
Operational technology and control systems for utilities should be isolated from internet-connected networks whenever possible. Network segmentation can significantly reduce the likelihood that compromise on the business network impacts plant operations.

Limit Remote Access
Remote access capabilities should be tightly controlled. Where remote access is necessary, require strong multi-factor authentication and enhanced security protections that disallow authentication from unidentified devices or locations.

Be Wary of Fear-Based Sales Tactics

While cybersecurity investments can certainly be valuable, local governments should approach high-pressure sales tactics with caution. Decisions about security tools and services should be made deliberately, based on actual risk assessments and operational needs, not fear or urgency created by outside vendors. 

Free Services and Resources for LMC and LMCIT Members

LMC and LMCIT offer an array of cybersecurity support and resources for members:

• Visit the Cybersecurity Services webpage on the LMC website.
• Take our free Cybersecurity for Cities courses, available through the League’s MemberLearn online learning platform.
• Connect with our on-staff experts:
  • For questions related to cyber risk assessments and analysis; incident response, business continuity, and disaster recovery planning; cybersecurity training for staff; and other cybersecurity-related questions, contact Christian Torkelson, LMCIT cybersecurity loss control consultant, at [email protected]
  • For questions related to IT systems procurement (including RFP support, choosing vendors, and market analysis), contact Matt Nelles, LMCIT member consultant, at [email protected].