Hackers target town hall in Gauting: 215,000 euros for IT security

Created: 03/25/2022, 09:00

Hackers regularly try to gain access to the computer systems of companies and authorities.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, these cases have increased.

© DPA

Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, hackers have increasingly attacked the IT of the Gauting town hall.

The municipal council therefore decided this week to spend 215,000 euros on more IT security.

Gauting - Since the war in the Ukraine, attacks by hackers on municipalities like Gauting have also increased in this country.

"Therefore Mayor Dr.

Brigitte Kössinger and Managing Director Dr.

Michael Groth approached me,” reported Andreas Hecker, Head of Gautinger Informationstechnik, at the meeting.

The federal and state offices for IT security also advised “increased vigilance, readiness to react and the implementation of security measures”.

Hecker reported that he did in fact filter out increased e-mail attacks during the regular analysis.

While 5,320 hacker attacks were blocked in December last year and 8,935 in January, this number jumped to 26,476 in February after the Russian attack on Ukraine.

"This corresponds to an increase of around 497 percent," said Hecker.

However, the quality of the new attacks, which has been confirmed by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is much more perfidious.

These are not normal hackers, but employees of institutional organizations such as the military or secret service who have been specially trained for cyber warfare.

This worries all Gautinger IT employees and management, says Hecker, who called for more IT security through the use of two separate systems from two providers.

"I was skeptical at first," admitted IT technician Tobias McFadden (MfG/Pirates).

But he also heard from his IT colleagues who look after small communities like Gauting that the communities have been suffering from cyber attacks since the Ukraine war and have been expanding their firewalls.

Therefore, he supports the proposal of the administration.

The municipal council unanimously approved the funds for the immediate, secure final expansion of the town hall IT in the amount of 215,000 euros.

The majority, almost 155,000 euros, comes from additional income from the sale of the nine parcels of the Gautinger Handwerkerhof, according to the meeting proposal from treasurer Stefan Hagl.

Christine Cless-Wesle