Why cities are becoming prime targets, and how your municipality can stay ahead.
Small Cities, Big Risks
When we think of cyber attacks, we often picture large corporations or government agencies. But increasingly, small to mid-sized municipalities are being hit—and hit hard. Why? Because many local governments have limited IT staff, outdated systems, and less cybersecurity training, making them ideal targets.
Real-World Example #1:
Ransomware Lockdown
A small Oklahoma city found itself completely locked out of its systems after a staff member unknowingly clicked a link in a phishing email. The attack encrypted financial files, police records, and email communications.
- Operations were down for 5 days
- A ransom demand exceeded $80,000
- Emergency services had to rely on paper records
- The city paid over $20,000 in recovery costs—out of pocket
Real-World Example #2: "Looked Like the City Manager"
Another municipality was tricked by a phishing email that looked like it came from their city manager. It requested a wire transfer for a fake invoice.
- $35,000 transferred to a fraudulent account
- Legal recovery was unsuccessful
- IT discovered several compromised inboxes from weak passwords
What You Can Learn (And Do Today)
No city is too small to be targeted. But every city can take simple steps to reduce their risk:
- Enable MFA (multi-factor authentication) on all platforms
- Train your staff to spot phishing attempts—twice a year
- Back up your data to secure, off-network locations
- Restrict admin access to only those who truly need it
- Have a response plan ready before you need it
How OMAG Helps
If you're an OMAG member, you're covered for up to $50,000 in Cyber Breach Response Coverage—but you must report within 60 days. If you're not sure where to start, contact OMAG today or visit www.omag.org/marketing-campaigns for additional information. A little preparation prevents major problems.