Flanders presents plan to protect municipalities against cyber criminals
The Flemish government will help Flemish municipalities to protect themselves against cyber criminals. The plan includes an audit, toolkit and a package of pen tests. The plan follows after ransomware that shut down the municipality of Willebroek for five days.
Testing the systems of the municipalities seems to be the main part of the plan. For example, DataNews writes about an audit that must screen the systems for vulnerabilities, among other things. In such an audit, Domestic Administration pays two-thirds of the costs, for which two million euros are provided. Municipalities that wish to do so can also allow themselves to be hacked by students at the Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen. Four students from the Computer & Cyber Crime Professional study program then come for a few days to check the systems and processes of a municipality. The students perform pen tests and social tests. In the latter category, for example, they leave a USB stick somewhere, or they start a phishing campaign. This ethical hacking process should start this fall.
The municipalities will soon also receive a scenario that tells them what to do in the event of a cyber attack. This explains, for example, the different roles for members of the board, for the ICT department and communication. It is also recommended here to quickly isolate a network, stop backups in the event of an attack, and get experts together as quickly as possible. Municipalities also receive tips on how to continue working during a cyber attack, such as using laptops with a 4G connection.
According to this plan, municipalities are also better informed about responsible disclosure policies. This should make it easier for residents to report a leak in a municipal computer system. Finally, municipal employees receive training in ICT and security, so that they too are more resilient to cyber attacks.
The plans of the Flemish government are a direct result of a ransomware attack that the Flemish municipality of Willebroek had to deal with earlier this year. On Friday night, January 24, according to De Tijd, the municipality was attacked by criminals who demanded an unknown amount of bitcoins. Only after five days was the municipality fully operational. It is unclear whether the municipality paid the criminals, according to Computable, the municipality said it did not intend to do so at the time.