In recent months, several Australian councils have suffered significant cyber incidents that have disrupted operations, exposed sensitive data, and shaken public confidence.
While cybercriminals once focused mainly on large corporations, councils are now in the crosshairs—seen as soft targets with valuable data and limited defences.
Notable breaches over the past two years include a ransomware attack on Isaac Regional Council in Queensland in April 2023, which forced a major shutdown of IT systems and required intensive recovery efforts with outside help.
In July 2024, South Australia’s Wattle Range Council was targeted by the LockBit ransomware group, which stole and leaked over 40,000 files from a legacy system and demanded a ransom.
Just months later, Glenorchy City Council in Tasmania reported unauthorised activity in an externally managed IT system, highlighting serious concerns around third-party vulnerabilities, though no data loss was confirmed.
These aren’t isolated cases. According to the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s 2023–24 Annual Cyber Threat Report, nearly 94,000 cybercrime reports were filed in just one year—a 23% jump from the previous period. Thirteen percent of those attacks hit government entities, including councils.
With growing digital responsibilities and access to large volumes of community and business data, local councils have become prime targets. Yet, many face internal challenges: outdated IT systems, limited technical staff, lack of 24/7 monitoring, poor training, and little oversight over contractors.
Experts say MSSPs can play a crucial role in changing that. These providers offer councils essential services like round-the-clock threat monitoring, incident response, vulnerability management, and access to specialised expertise—resources most councils can’t maintain in-house.
“It’s no longer a question of if a council will be targeted, but when, and whether they’ll be able to respond quickly and effectively,” said a cybersecurity advisor familiar with council infrastructure across Victoria and New South Wales.
MSSPs aren’t just about preventing breaches—they also help councils keep critical services running in the face of an attack.
Cyber incidents can affect everything from rubbish collection and permit processing to community health services. When citizen data is compromised, the damage to trust can be long-term.
By partnering with MSSPs, councils gain not only protection but also strategic preparedness to remain resilient in the face of growing threats.
Sector-wide audits continue to reveal weak spots. A 2023 report from the NSW Auditor-General found most councils lacked incident response plans, failed to implement multi-factor authentication, and didn’t properly oversee third-party IT providers.
A review in Western Australia found none of the 12 councils assessed met basic security standards—further justifying the need for specialist help.
Cybersecurity firms across Australia are stepping up, tailoring their offerings for local government needs.
Services typically include incident playbook creation, staff training, penetration testing, audits, compliance support for the federal Cyber Security Strategy 2023–2030, and real-time response to emerging threats.
One such firm is Melbourne-based Borderless CS, which supports councils and not-for-profits nationwide. The company offers flexible service tiers, from standard business-hour protection to 24/7 fully managed security. But according to its CEO, the mission goes beyond just coverage.
“Our aim is not to just monitor and alert, it’s to empower councils to understand their risk landscape and improve it over time,” said Jaya, Borderless CS’s CEO. “We see ourselves as partners, not vendors.”
As regulatory expectations grow and digital risks intensify, local government leaders are being urged to take a hard look at their cyber strategies.
The national Cyber Security Strategy encourages councils to work more closely with trusted industry partners and treat cybersecurity as a whole-of-organisation responsibility.
From mayors and CEOs to councillors, the message is clear: Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue anymore. Working with a qualified MSSP is quickly becoming a must-have—not a nice-to-have—for operational continuity and public trust.
