It is increasingly common for both individuals and institutions to be victims of scams and unauthorized access to computer systems. However, when the objectives are public institutions (and especially those with fewer resources, such as city councils) The consequences of these attacks can be anything but trivial.

In recent weeks, dozens of municipalities have faced an alarming increase in cyberattacks, according to ABC echoes. Hackers have not only managed to paralyze their systems by ransomwarebut also demand payment of ransoms for their systems and/or data, plunging city councils into chaos (Disabled web pages, electronic offices or unusable traffic light control systemsetc.) that highlights the technological vulnerability of public institutions.

Two examples can illustrate the scope of these attacks throughout Spanish territory. In October 2023, the Seville City Council suffered a cyber attack that kept its electronic headquarters suspended for more than 40 days.

A year and a half earlier, law enforcement had arrested the person responsible for hacking the systems of the city councils of Granda and Madrid to divert public money into their own accounts manipulating the account number of the officials’ payrolls.

Lack of resources and/or preparation

One of the main challenges for smaller municipalities is the lack of resources. Municipalities with limited budgets, such as La Acebeda, whose annual budget is barely 62,000 euros, have difficulties investing in advanced cybersecurity solutions. However, the threat does not distinguish between large and small; All municipalities are vulnerable.

Even in larger towns, such as Brunete or Galapagar, where resources are greater, the concern is also palpable: Rafael Jordán, systems manager for the Brunete City Council, highlights the importance of having specialized support:

“We have all suffered an attack (and when that happens) you feel very alone, very nervous, and you call all the phones you can.”

The magnitude of the problem is evident in the figures provided by the Madrid City Council, which suffered 9,872 cyber incidents between March 2023 and April 2024one of them being classified as “very high severity.” This scenario reflects a worrying reality: many institutions lack solid protocols and sufficient resources to prevent and confront these attacks.

For this reason, the Community of Madrid has reinforced its cybersecurity strategy through the implementation of a Cybersecurity Agency. This organization has a specialized team, which they call “the men in black“, which intervenes directly in cases of cyber attacks to mitigate damage and restore compromised systems.

The importance of training and prevention

In this context, the Digitalization Department of the Community of Madrid has launched a training programn aimed at municipal officials, especially in small towns, to teach them how to handle cybercrises.

The courses, taught at the Ministry’s Innovation Center, address topics such as detecting threats, organizing crisis committees and implementing preventive measures.

These courses are designed to respond to an urgent need: preparing city councils to face the challenges of cybersecurity. Training includes cyber attack simulations that allow attendees to experience real situations and practice the steps necessary to contain and resolve incidents.

According to Emilio Rico, the trainer who teaches these courses, the approach is based on four key stages: detection, containment, eradication and improvement to prevent future attacks. The participants They include everything from councilors and mayors to computer techniciansas in the case of La Acebeda, a small municipality with only 67 inhabitants.

Image | Marcos Merino through AI

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