State, local governments facing deluge of phishing attacks

Cyberthreats against state and local government agencies have surged by 360% in 2023-2024, according to Abnormal Security’s annual report. Primarily driven by the increasing popularity of business email compromise (BEC) attacks, the sudden surge signals a higher risk for governments. BECs often involve mimicking employees or contractors to reroute payments, sometimes resulting in losses of millions. Government transparency and limited cybersecurity resources further enhance vulnerabilities. Account takeover attacks, aiming to breach an enterprise by accessing high-level accounts, also rose by 43%.