County & Local

Local government agencies remain concerned about lack of cyber awareness

A majority of local governments say their biggest concern in the cybersecurity realm is a lack of awareness by end users and government employees.

By Public Technology Institute

October 19, 2017

Local government agencies across the country are concerned about cybersecurity awareness.

In a “Quick Poll” of local government IT officials, the Public Technology Institute found that “lack of awareness by end users/government employees” ranked as the No. 1 concern when it comes to cybersecurity. That top concern was followed closely by a need for financial resources to help address cybersecurity challenges.

The poll was conducted in September 2017 as part of PTI’s efforts to promote Cyber Security National Awareness Month. The poll surveyed PTI’s city and county government membership.

In addition to the top concern around cybersecurity, the poll also found that the cybersecurity framework from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the security framework from the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services are the top guidelines for IT security in local government.

Highlights:

42 percent of respondents have not performed a network security audit within the past 12 months.
54 percent of organizations have cybersecurity liability or data breach insurance.
62 percent of respondents do not have a formal breach response policy.

This infographic was provided exclusively to StateScoop for publication as a part of a media partnership with the Public Technology Institute. For more information on this poll and other PTI activities, check out www.pti.org.