Local government message or phishing scam? ‒ Public safety demands closed systems

Last year, the number of phishing attacks committed in the name of the public sector, i.e. hiding behind the guise of local governments, increased by 360% globally. Central government agencies have all the capabilities to handle such abuses, but the situation of local governments is not uniform. Due to the decreasing resources along with the size of the settlement, the smaller a community, the more vulnerable its population may be to such abuses – pointed out Erik Czinger, the Hungarian head of Munipolis, which operates local government communication networks. This may be especially true for members of the population who are less digitally prepared, such as older members.

Several Hungarian settlements have already reported attempted attacks in which perpetrators sent deceptive messages on behalf of an apparently official body – typically a local government or a public utility service provider. The goal was the usual one: gaining access to personal data, making money or installing malicious files. Attackers often send personalized, deceptive letters or SMS based on public data – such as the name, position, official contact details of local government employees – to increase the chances of success. It is also possible that someone from the outside could penetrate a less consciously operated local government system, as their protection also varies greatly.