Disaster Recovery for Government Agencies

Disaster recovery for government

Published on January 22, 2025

Post Content: Disaster Recovery

Why Cyberattacks on Government Agencies Are Increasing – and How to Prepare

In recent years, cyberattacks on government agencies have surged at an alarming rate. From ransomware incidents that cripple city operations to data breaches exposing sensitive citizen information, local governments have become prime targets for cybercriminals.

Why? Because small municipal and county governments often lack the cybersecurity resources of federal agencies, making them vulnerable entry points to critical infrastructure. This post aims to educate you on Disaster Recovery for Government agencies – a guide to help you hit the ground running as you plan your DR program.

For IT Directors at government agencies, ensuring operational continuity and data protection is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. This article explores why cyber threats against government entities are increasing and how a Network-First Disaster Recovery (DR) approach can protect essential public services.


Background & Key Concepts

What Is Disaster Recovery and Why Does It Matter?

Disaster Recovery (DR) refers to the ability of an organization to restore IT systems, applications, and data in the event of a disruption, whether caused by cyberattacks, natural disasters, or human error. For government agencies, DR is critical because downtime disrupts essential public services like law enforcement, emergency response, and social services.

Key Terminology

  • Ransomware – A type of malware that encrypts files and demands payment for decryption.
  • Zero-Day Attacks – Exploits that target vulnerabilities before a patch is available.
  • Recovery Time Objective (RTO) – The maximum acceptable downtime after an incident.
  • Recovery Point Objective (RPO) – The maximum allowable data loss in an outage.
  • Network-First DR – A disaster recovery strategy that prioritizes network resilience, ensuring secure connectivity even in the event of cyber disruptions.

Why Cyberattacks on Government Agencies Are Increasing

1. Governments Hold Valuable Data

Local governments store vast amounts of sensitive citizen information, including Social Security numbers, financial data, and public records. This makes them lucrative targets for hackers looking to steal, sell, or ransom the data.

2. Ransomware Attacks Are More Profitable Than Ever

Cybercriminals increasingly use ransomware to extort government agencies, knowing that municipalities often lack the resources to recover quickly. The 2019 attack on Baltimore’s city government cost over $18 million in damages and recovery expenses.

3. Outdated Infrastructure Creates Security Gaps

Many local governments operate on legacy systems that are:

  • No longer supported with security updates.
  • Prone to vulnerabilities that hackers can easily exploit.
  • Unable to integrate with modern cybersecurity tools.

4. Lack of IT and Cybersecurity Resources

Smaller government agencies often struggle with:

  • Limited cybersecurity budgets.
  • Insufficient IT staffing.
  • Poorly maintained backup and recovery plans.

This makes them an easy target for sophisticated cyberattacks.

5. Increased Use of Remote Work and Cloud Services

The shift to remote work and cloud-based services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the attack surface. Without a strong network architecture, agencies risk data leaks, phishing attacks, and unauthorized access.


How Government IT Directors Can Strengthen Disaster Recovery

1. Implement a Network-First Disaster Recovery Strategy

Traditional disaster recovery focuses only on backups—but that’s not enough in a modern cyberattack scenario. A Network-First DR approach to Disaster Recovery ensures:

  • Seamless failover to backup networks in case of an attack.
  • Resilient connectivity that keeps essential services online.
  • Prevention-focused security measures, such as DDoS protection and intrusion detection.

2. Invest in Multi-Layered Security Protections

Government agencies should implement:

  • Immutable backups (prevent backup tampering by ransomware).
  • Network segmentation (limit lateral movement of attackers).
  • Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools.

3. Regularly Test and Update DR Plans

A Disaster Recovery plan is only effective if tested regularly. Best practices include:

  • Quarterly failover tests to simulate cyberattacks.
  • Automated DR orchestration to minimize downtime.
  • Continuous monitoring with real-time alerts.

4. Use Cloud-Based and On-Premise Hybrid DR Solutions

A hybrid cloud DR strategy ensures:

  • Local backups for quick recovery.
  • Cloud backups for geo-redundancy and long-term security.

Solutions like Fidalia’s DRaaS leverage dedicated Layer 2 connectivity, ensuring ultra-fast failover and eliminating the need for manual reconfiguration during a disaster.

5. Strengthen Network Resilience with a Dedicated ISP-Backed Solution

Unlike generic DR solutions, Fidalia’s Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) integrates:

  • DDoS protection to block cyberattacks before they disrupt operations.
  • Intrusion detection systems (IDS) to monitor suspicious activity.
  • Private, dedicated connectivity to keep recovery networks secure and accessible.

This network-first approach ensures business continuity even during an attack.


Decision-Making Considerations: How to Choose the Right DR Solution

Key Factors to Evaluate:

FeatureWhy It Matters for Government Agencies
RTO & RPOFaster recovery reduces service disruption.
Network RedundancyEnsures secure connectivity during outages.
Immutable BackupsProtects against ransomware wiping out data.
Dedicated DR InfrastructurePrevents reliance on vulnerable public internet connections.
Automated FailoverReduces manual intervention and speeds up recovery.

Comparing Approaches:

  • Basic Backup Solutions → Inexpensive but lack fast failover.
  • Cloud-Only DR → Good redundancy, but recovery times can be slower.
  • Network-First DR (Fidalia DRaaS) → Fastest failover, strong security, and lowest downtime.

Implementation Guide: How to Strengthen DR for Government Agencies

Step-by-Step Roadmap

  1. Conduct a Risk Assessment
    • Identify critical applications and vulnerabilities.
    • Evaluate current backup and DR strategies.
  2. Deploy Network-First DR Architecture
    • Establish dedicated backup connectivity (Layer 2 or L2.5).
    • Enable continuous data replication to secondary data centers.
  3. Integrate Security Measures
    • Implement DDoS protection and firewall monitoring.
    • Enable intrusion detection to prevent malware spread.
  4. Automate DR Testing and Monitoring
    • Run quarterly recovery simulations.
    • Use AI-powered anomaly detection for early threat detection.
  5. Educate Staff and Establish Incident Response Plans
    • Conduct employee cybersecurity training.
    • Establish a clear communication plan for cyber incidents.

The best time to start is yesterday. The second best? Right now.

As cyberattacks on government agencies continue to rise, IT Directors must shift to a proactive, Network-First Disaster Recovery approach. A robust DR solution ensures:

  • Faster recovery times.
  • Reduced downtime and disruption.
  • Stronger security against cyber threats.

By investing in Fidalia’s DRaaS solution, government agencies gain: ✔ Ultra-fast failover with dedicated network connectivity
24/7 monitoring and automated testing
Ransomware-resistant backups

📥 Download Fidalia’s brochure on Network-First Disaster Recovery today and ensure your municipality stays protected against modern cyber threats.