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The Bergstraße district initiates a network for greater cyber resilience in its administration
In light of increasing hacker attacks on local governments in Germany, several districts in southern Hesse are joining forces to better protect themselves against future cyberattacks. Representatives from various municipalities met for an initial working meeting at the initiative of the Bergstraße district and District Administrator Christian Engelhardt. The goal is to establish a southern Hessian network to strengthen cyber resilience in public administration.
The background to this is the numerous successful attacks on municipal IT systems, some of which had significant impacts on administrative processes and public services. The planned network is intended to enable the participating administrations to support each other in an emergency – especially in the case of cyberattacks that cripple IT operations.
Mutual support in times of crisis
The first working-level meeting focused on preparing a joint declaration of intent and developing sustainable structures for crisis situations. Discussions included how the administrations could support each other in the event of an IT outage. This included the exchange of IT specialists, remote technical support, and the rapid provision of IT workstations to ensure the continued performance of core administrative tasks.
The planned cooperation within the framework of a cyber resilience pact is intended to encompass both preventive and organizational measures as well as concrete technical support in emergencies. Following the signing of the declaration of intent, the details of the cooperation will be further developed and recorded in a joint draft agreement. This will then be submitted to the political bodies for discussion and decision-making. Due to the upcoming local elections, a decision is not expected before mid-year at the earliest.
Integration of the municipal IT service provider
ekom21 is also involved in the planning for the network . Many public administrations are highly dependent on its services. In addition to collaborating with other IT service providers in the state, the aim is also to strengthen cooperation among the municipalities themselves in order to ensure operational capability in the event of a crisis.
The planned Pact for Cyber Resilience aims to create a reliable structure that helps municipalities maintain their ability to act even in the event of serious IT disruptions.
(RED/KB)
Featured image: Representatives from the districts of southern Hesse met at the invitation of District Administrator Christian Engelhardt (second from right, center) for the first working meeting of the "Pact for Cyber Resilience". Photo: KB
