23 million attacks on the city of Bern in one year: how cyber attacks are ravaging communities

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23 million cyber attacks on the city of Bern last year. This statement shocked Mayor Alec von Graffenried (61). The city’s IT infrastructure is “constantly in defense mode,” he said at a media conference. “The question is not whether we will be attacked, but: when will the first attack be successful?”

At Blick’s request, the city puts things into perspective: the 23 million assessments are a system count. “An attack with one origin can therefore lead to numerous ‘attacks’ in the systems.” The city cannot say how many individual attacks there were because they were automated attacks.

Not only cities are affected

But Bern is not alone, as a small survey of major cities shows. The city of Zurich reports two to four targeted cyber attack attempts per day. The canton of Basel-Stadt writes about 200,000 attempted attacks in January 2024 alone. However, the figures are difficult to compare because the attacks are counted differently, writes Basel-Stadt.

But one thing is clear: cybersecurity is not only a challenge for big cities, but also for small communities. Bruno Tüscher (39) is a computer scientist and at the same time mayor of Münchwilen AG. He believes that the risk of cyber attacks on communities is even greater than on small businesses. Various community systems, such as power supply or street lighting, are connected to the Internet. “With the help of cyber attacks, the drinking water supply could in theory be hindered or even cut off across the board,” he tells Blick. Physical damage can occur quickly.

But classic blackmail is also conceivable. “If data leaks that together reveal information about individual citizens, a strong loss of trust in the government can be expected,” says Tüscher.

Greatest danger to employees

In contrast to large cities such as Bern, smaller communities often have fewer employees and therefore less skilled workers. “Small communities often purchase data centers from an IT service provider,” Tüscher explains.

But the staff is also important. “In Münchwilen we conducted a campaign that revealed gaps.” For example, when you click on links in emails or download documents. “In my opinion, the greatest danger comes from misconduct, which opens doors for systems.”

Costs unclear

Role VD experienced what it means when a community is hacked. In 2021, her data was stolen for two months. These ended up on the dark web.

It is unclear how much money it costs to defend against cyber attacks. The requested cities and municipalities cannot or do not want to provide detailed costs. The city of Bern also reacts for tactical reasons, because IT professionals conclude from this how extensive the security system is. One thing is clear: costs will likely continue to rise in the coming years.

Source:Blick