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Council meeting suspended to fortify defenses against cyber threats.

Hackers Continually Assault Dresden's City IT Systems, Forcing Early Adjournment of City Council Meeting, Reveals Security Officer Michael Breidung.

Dresden City Administration Faces Escalating Cyber Attacks: Security Officer Michael Breidung...
Dresden City Administration Faces Escalating Cyber Attacks: Security Officer Michael Breidung highlights that hackers constantly scan the city's IT systems for loopholes. Even the city council meeting was forced to end ahead of schedule last Friday due to these attacks.

Council meeting suspended to fortify defenses against cyber threats.

Dresden's Cybersecurity Woes: A Persistent Battle Against Digital Threats

The city of Dresden, nestled in the heart of Germany, is grappling with an escalating wave of hacker attacks. Michael Breidung, the security officer at Dresden's town hall, gives us the grim details: every minute, their IT systems are under scrutiny by cunning cybercriminals, looking for chinks in the armor. In fact, the city council meeting had to be cut short on a Friday due to technical glitches with the digital documents, necessitating a system shutdown. A cyber attack on Dresden's state capital, which took place on October 12th, was skillfully thwarted by the IT department. Subsequent to this incident, internet access security measures were ramped up, even for the city council information system.

However, these heightened security measures have introduced delays. Breidung explains, "In order to conduct the city council meetings on Thursday and Friday, we had to relax the security level for the city council information system. Thankfully, this decision paid off on Thursday. However, access to the system from 5 PM onwards on Friday was sluggish. We couldn't warrant an even temporary reduction in the security level for Dresden's IT systems given the current threat landscape."

For the forthcoming meeting, Breidung promises a smooth-sailing digital experience. The in-house IT services department of Dresden's state capital has jointly agreed with the manufacturer to install an update in December that should mend the situation. In the first quarter of 2024, a new version of the city council information system is anticipated to hit the scene.

As we delve deeper into the world of cybersecurity, it's clear that Dresden isn't alone. Across the European Union, efforts are underway to fortify cybersecurity, especially in critical infrastructures such as government entities. The European Union's NIS 2 Directive, for instance, aims to bolster cybersecurity by prioritizing risk management measures, such as vulnerability tests, and tightening reporting obligations. Europe is also keen on promoting stronger cybersecurity services through certification, certifying products and services that meet stringent security standards. Institutions like CISPA contribute to cybersecurity research and education, which could inform and implement better cybersecurity practices in local governments.

In the face of these relentless attacks, Dresden is taking steps to bolster its defenses. Detailed strategies, however, remain under wraps. Direct information on Dresden's specific measures is scarce in the public domain. To effectively combat these recurring attacks, it is vital to conduct thorough risk assessments, bolster network security, and adhere to emerging regulatory standards.

[1] European Parliament and Council. (2016). Directive (EU) 2016/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 6, 2016, on the security of network and information systems and amending Directive (EU) 2016/680.[2] European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. (2021). Cybersecurity certification.[3] Cybersecurity Industry Alliance. (2022). About CISPA.[4] SEMI. (2022). 3D & Systems Summit.[5] NIST. (2022). Cybersecurity Education and Awareness.

  1. As efforts to bolster cybersecurity across the European Union are underway, particularly in critical infrastructures like government entities, Dresden's IT department is installing updates and anticipates a new version of the city council information system in the first quarter of 2024, aiming to address existing cybersecurity concerns.
  2. With the ongoing battle against digital threats, institutions like CISPA contribute to cybersecurity research and education, which could potentially inform and implement better cybersecurity practices for local governments, like Dresden, to combat recurring attacks more effectively.

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