# Local Government Cybersecurity Landscape: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Framework
## 1 Introduction and Background  
The role of local governments has evolved significantly in the digital transformation age, with the digitalization of public services, data management, and inter-departmental communication [1; 2; 3]. This transformation has made local governments more efficient and responsive to constituents' needs, in many cases with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions [4; 5]. However, this transformation also poses challenges, particularly in cybersecurity, given these governments' possession of vast amounts of sensitive data, which cybercriminals often perceive as attractive resources [6; 7; 8]. While central governments and national agencies often receive substantial attention in cybersecurity dialogues, local governments stand uniquely vulnerable due to a limited budget, a lack of cybersecurity infrastructure and expert workforce, the absence of regulatory compliance, and a lack of prioritization by the concerned authorities [9; 10]. The frequency and intensity of cyber-attacks on local governments have significantly increased in recent years [7; 8; 11; 12; 13]. One of the earlier scholarly publications in this research field by [PERSON] et al. [14] indicated that local governments experience cyber-attacks constantly, and only a fraction of them are prepared. [PERSON] et al. [15] conducted a nationwide survey in the USA, revealing that 28% of local governments experienced cyber-attacks hourly or more frequently, with 19% reporting at least one attack per day. The failure to address the cybersecurity concerns of local governments may result in significant consequences, such as the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information and documents [16], damaging the government's reputation [17], causing high costs for fixing security breaches [12], and hindering the ability to effectively address routine and emergency service needs [18]. Despite the growing threat landscape in local governments, there is an enormous gap of knowledge in terms of the specific challenges and solutions, attack types and techniques, tools, and available frameworks and standards for local governments in cybersecurity-related matters [6; 8; 10]. This lack of academic research is also evident in the multiple articles reviewed in this study. For instance, [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [6] indicated that they found only three articles in the publication period from 2000 to mid-2021 that specifically addressed cybersecurity in local governments. [PERSON] et al. [19] mentioned in their study that \"despite the recognized need to implement cybersecurity strategies and legal norms, so far there has been little research verifying the adopted solutions in practice or analyzing actual examples of cybercrime in public entities, especially at the local government level\". Most existing articles adopt a descriptive stance, focusing on the significance and landscape of cyberthreats without providing theoretical frameworks or empirically based strategies to understand cybersecurity issues [6]. This intellectual gap not only reflects a noticeable deficiency in knowledge among officials and decision-makers in local governments, but it also suggests a broader systemic disregard for integrating and prioritizing cybersecurity in local governments, necessitating further research in this domain. Considering the context described above, this paper seeks to identify the key components of cybersecurity and subsequently develop a conceptual framework to understand the cybersecurity landscape within the local governmental context by addressing the following research questions:  
1. How is the cybersecurity landscape characterized within the local governmental context? 2. What are the key components essential for a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity in the local governmental context? This study used a systematic literature review to identify relevant articles in the cybersecurity-local government research fields. It then conducted a comprehensive analysis, followed by a discussion and a conclusion.