Local governments across Australia are facing a growing number of cybersecurity challenges with wide-reaching implications for public trust and service continuity, writes Steven Woodhouse.
Councils hold responsibility as custodians of critical infrastructure and sensitive data and must protect increasingly complex digital environments while continuing to deliver essential services within tight budgets.
The sharp rise in cyber incidents reported in 2024 – including a 25 per cent increase in data breaches and a notable number of government-related incidents reported to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner – reinforces the urgency of this issue. Fortinet’s 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity report found that 47 per cent of respondents experienced an intrusion in the past year. The need for a strong and forward-looking cybersecurity strategy has never been greater. Local governments must now adopt scalable and integrated approaches that reflect the digital expectations of their communities.
Modern councils rely heavily on digital platforms. Communities expect seamless, secure access to services such as permit applications, rate payments, and service requests. This growing digital footprint introduces more attack surfaces and new vulnerabilities, particularly where legacy systems and siloed infrastructure are still in place. Cybersecurity is no longer a back-office concern; it’s fundamental to the delivery of public services and the preservation of public confidence.
A successful breach could disrupt essential services and threaten public safety.
Compounding these pressures is the fact that local governments must manage vast arrays of critical infrastructure, from wastewater treatment plants and traffic signals to emergency services communications. Increasingly, these operational systems are connected to the broader Internet of Things ecosystem for control and monitoring, making them prime targets for cybercriminals and malicious nation-state actors. A successful breach could disrupt essential services, threaten public safety, and cause significant financial and reputational damage, turning a cybersecurity lapse into a civic crisis.
Despite this, councils are expected to manage these risks with strict financial constraints. Many don’t have the resources to implement large-scale infrastructure upgrades or to hire specialised cybersecurity professionals. This financial pressure forces local governments to prioritise and decide which risks to address now, and which must wait. The shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals only adds to this challenge, especially in regional and rural areas. A decentralised workforce and limited access to specialist talent means generalist staff are tasked with managing increasingly complex security environments.
The adoption of hybrid work models and increased reliance on third-party contracts has expanded the digital perimeter. Relying solely on passwords is no longer sufficient, with compromised or stolen credentials one of the leading causes of breaches. Councils must implement zero-trust principles, introduce multi-factor authentication, segment networks, and monitor access in real time to secure their environments effectively.
The fragmented and fast-changing threat environment also requires unified security operations. Local governments often operate disparate systems across departments, making it difficult to detect and respond to threats. Integrating cybersecurity, physical security, and operational monitoring into a centralised security operations centre lets councils respond faster and more effectively to incidents. AI-driven analytics and automation tools can reduce the burden on limited security teams significantly by streamlining threat detection, investigation, and response.
Open-data initiatives and citizen-facing digital services support transparency and civic engagement. However, they also present security risks. Local governments must secure data both during transmission and while stored, with strong access controls in place to prevent unauthorised access and maintain service availability. The goal is to balance openness with accountability so that digital innovation strengthens, rather than undermines, public trust.
A scalable and integrated cybersecurity architecture is essential to achieving these outcomes. Councils must consolidate and modernise their security infrastructure, replacing single point solutions with integrated platforms that deliver centralised visibility, policy enforcement, and coordinated response. This approach reduces both operational complexity and cost, helping local governments redirect resources to other high-priority initiatives without compromising their security posture.
A scalable and integrated cybersecurity architecture is essential.
Regulatory compliance remains essential, but councils must go beyond minimum standards. Frameworks such as the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Essential Eight and ISO/IEC 27000 series provide a strong foundation. However, a future-ready cybersecurity strategy must be proactive, flexible, and tailored to the local government’s specific risk profile, assets, and community expectations. Fortinet’s research shows that 66 per cent of operational technology leaders expect regulatory pressure to grow over the next five years. Councils that take a proactive stance today will be better prepared for tomorrow’s requirements.
Smart-city initiatives bring additional complexity. The attack surface expands dramatically as local governments deploy more connected devices and data-driven systems to improve service delivery and sustainability. Maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data becomes a fundamental requirement for operational success in this environment. Strong security controls must be embedded into the design of smart infrastructure to ensure these initiatives remain long-term assets rather than liabilities.
Councils need to move from reactive approaches to proactive strategies and replace siloed defences with integrated security systems. Local governments should partner with technology providers that understand the public sector and can deliver scalable, fit-for-purpose solutions. This includes secure networking for remote sites, insider threat detection, and real-time threat intelligence across the full spectrum of digital threats.
Cybersecurity has become a critical component of public service delivery. By investing in strong, integrated, and scalable solutions, councils can protect critical infrastructure, maintain public trust, and futureproof their digital capabilities. When viewed as a strategic investment rather than a compliance obligation, cybersecurity becomes a foundation for resilience, responsive, and modern local government.
Steven Woodhouse, field chief information security officer ANZ, Fortinet
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