57% of CFO’s and IT personnel at local government agencies nationwide reported that they were increasing their cybersecurity budgets in the just released annual Springbrook Software cybersecurity survey. With 2023 shaping up to be a record year for ransomware attacks, 98% of surveyed agencies reported that they routinely conducted cybersecurity training, indicating that the threat is being taken seriously. Springbrook conducted this survey between December 2022 and February 2023.

One of the most telling data points involved the age of software in use, with 34% of municipalities reporting that their agencies were relying on solutions ten or more years old, creating a significant security gap.

“Our industry is clearly taking ransomware threats seriously, however reliance on dated solutions will never protect agency and citizen data in the instance of an attack. With monies available for assessment and eventual software upgrades, now is the time for agencies to move to protect their data,” says Robert Bonavito, CEO, Springbrook Software.

The Federal government has made monies available to help municipalities manage the growing threat landscape through the Department of Homeland Security’s new state and local cybersecurity grant program. This program makes $1 billion available to local agencies over a four-year period, with money working its way through the system this year. According to the Springbrook survey, 53% of respondents applied for this grant, with 31% receiving some form of funding. 56% admitted that they “did not know about it.”

The complete report can be found here. 

For more information on the cybersecurity grant visit the Springbrook Cybersecurity Resource Center.