# Local Government Cybersecurity Landscape: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Framework
## 4 Analysis and Results
### Purpose of Cyber-Attacks  
Our systematic review identified various motivations that drive cyber-attacks on local governments. One major incentive behind these attacks is the possibility of unlawfully obtaining information about residents and employees, such as personal details or credit/debit card details. When accessed, such information becomes an asset to trade for financial gain in the digital marketplace and on the dark web. Ransomware is another method employed by cybercriminals to profit by holding crucial administrative data and infrastructure of local governments hostage until a ransom is paid, typically in the form of digital currencies [49]. Apart from financial causes, cyber-attacks against local governments are often driven by political motives such as espionage and hacktivism. Espionage, often orchestrated \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Type and Technique** & **Description** & **Reference** \\ \hline DDoS & An attack that floods a targeted system with more requests than it can handle, using multiple computers to target a resource. A DoS originates from one source, disrupting a single system with excessive requests, while a DDoS attack is executed from multiple coordinated sources and is more complex and difficult to mitigate. & [36; 62; 78] \\ \hline Phishing & A deceptive method wherein individuals are tricked into sharing sensitive personal information through emails claiming to be from trusted organizations. & [11; 15; 48; 74; 80; 84] \\ \hline Spear phishing & Similar to phishing, but spear phishing targets specific individuals or organizations while phishing targets a large group of people. & [8] \\ \hline Whaling & A type of phishing, but only targets high officials within an organization. & [8] \\ \hline Man-in-the-Middle & Cybersecurity exploits where attackers intercept and alter communication between parties, stealing personal information, financial data, and spreading misinformation, posing a significant threat. & [25; 34; 35; 81; 83] \\ \hline Brute Force Attacks & Attempting various combinations of symbols or words until the correct password is discovered. & [8; 25] \\ \hline Social Engineering & Involves attackers manipulating individuals to compromise information or perform actions, exploiting human vulnerabilities and making it challenging to protect against using technological means alone. & [11; 53; 64; 79] \\ \hline Malicious Insider & Intentional attack by someone within an organization for personal benefit or as an act of vengeance. & [15; 80] \\ \hline Negligent Insider & Despite not being malicious, it unintentionally causes security breaches or fails to follow protocols, leading to potential vulnerabilities or attacks. & [7] \\ \hline Zero-Day Target Attacks & An attack that exploits vulnerabilities in software that neither the vendor nor the creator was aware of. & [7; 56; 67] \\ \hline Repudiation & An attack that occurs when an application or system fails to properly track and log user actions, allowing malicious manipulation or forging new actions. & [51; 76] \\ \hline Tampering & Unlawful alteration of a system, its components, intended behavior, or data. & [49; 74; 77] \\ \hline Spamming & Distribution of unwanted bulk messages via electronic messaging systems, digital delivery systems, and public media. & [10; 61; 66] \\ \hline APT & An attack that gains unauthorized access to a system for an extended period, executing a continuous and persistent attack. & [25; 78; 79] \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: _Cont._by state-sponsored actors, aims to extract sensitive information for strategic or political gain [67]. Hacktivism, driven by ideological factors, leads certain cyber-attackers to target local governments to voice political or societal grievances [7; 8]. Given the close-knit relationship between local governments and their constituents, such attacks can amplify the hackers' messages, creating significant community unrest. Personal vendettas add another layer to the threat landscape [7; 15].