Are cities and municipalities particularly targeted by cybercriminals?
Kira Groß-Bölting: Municipalities are easy prey for cybercriminals. Their IT systems are often poorly secured. Ransomware groups act opportunistically and attack where it is easiest. In this respect, cybercriminals are no different from burglars who prefer houses or apartments with weak or no security measures. Empathy or restr...
The narrative presents a compelling case for the vulnerability of municipalities to cyberattacks, grounded in observable patterns of underinvestment and systemic neglect. The strongest version of this argument highlights the structural challenges—understaffed IT teams, bureaucratic procurement delays, and a lack of basic security hygiene—that make public institutions low-hanging fruit for opportunistic cybercriminals. The experts’ emphasis on practical, incremental improvements (e.g., password p...