Breach Costs: Local Govs Need a Cybersecurity Audit in 2025

In 2025, no city — large or small — can afford to ignore cybersecurity. As ransomware groups and cybercriminals continue to evolve, local governments are becoming prime targets due to their often outdated systems, limited budgets, and overworked IT teams.

One of the smartest, and most cost-effective, ways to stay ahead of these threats is by conducting a gov cybersecurity audit.

This post breaks down why a cybersecurity audit isn’t just helpful, it’s mission-critical. And for cities and towns across Central and South Texas, it might be the one thing standing between public trust and a costly breach.

Why Local Governments Are at Risk

Over the past five years, municipalities have faced an alarming surge in cyberattacks:

  • In 2023 alone, over 70 U.S. local governments were hit by ransomware.
  • In many cases, data was permanently lost, public services were frozen, and millions of taxpayer dollars were spent on remediation.
  • Most were preventable with basic security hygiene and regular system audits.

So why are local agencies so vulnerable?

  • Legacy systems and software
  • Limited cybersecurity staffing
  • Public-facing services with weak protections
  • Lack of regular assessments and updates

When these factors combine, even small misconfigurations can lead to massive data breaches, identity theft, and service outages.

What Is a Government Cybersecurity Audit?

A gov cybersecurity audit is a structured review of your city’s IT environment to identify vulnerabilities, assess policy effectiveness, and ensure that systems align with best practices.

It typically covers:

  • Network security architecture
  • Access controls and user policies
  • Data backup and recovery systems
  • Incident response procedures
  • Employee cybersecurity training and awareness
  • Compliance with regulations and state-level mandates

Audits provide a snapshot of where you stand, and a roadmap for how to improve.

What Happens If You Don’t Audit?

Skipping a cybersecurity audit is like skipping a fire drill in a building filled with faulty wiring.

Here’s what cities risk by not auditing:

  • Silent intrusions that go undetected for months
  • Ransomware attacks that encrypt critical files and demand payment
  • Downtime of public-facing systems like online payments, permitting, or email
  • Loss of resident trust, especially after public data leaks
  • Regulatory fines and lawsuits tied to improper data handling

In contrast, cities that perform routine audits are far better equipped to spot risks early, shore up weaknesses, and recover quickly from attacks.

The Real Cost of a Breach

Let’s look at hard numbers. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report (2024):

  • Average breach cost in the public sector: $2.6 million
  • Average time to detect and contain: 287 days
  • Most common cause of breach: compromised credentials

And these numbers don’t even capture the political fallout, media exposure, and public backlash that often follow.

What a Cybersecurity Audit Looks Like with SofTouch Systems

At SofTouch Systems, our gov cybersecurity audit services are tailored to the needs of local and regional agencies. We focus on helping small and midsize municipalities secure their infrastructure affordably and effectively.

Our audits include:

  • Full vulnerability assessment (internal and external)
  • Firewall and endpoint evaluation
  • Review of password policies and access controls
  • Cloud services and remote access review
  • Employee awareness testing (phishing simulations, training needs)
  • Compliance readiness check for Texas-specific data protection laws

You’ll receive a plain-language report with prioritized action steps, risk levels, and a follow-up consultation to plan your next moves.

We don’t sell fear, we deliver clarity, accountability, and peace of mind.

When Should a Municipality Get Audited?

Here are five signs your agency is overdue for a cybersecurity audit:

  1. You haven’t done one in over 12 months
  2. You recently migrated to cloud-based services
  3. Your IT staff is under-resourced
  4. You’ve experienced any type of cyber incident, even a minor one
  5. Your city council is preparing a new budget or technology roadmap

What You Can Do Today

Start the conversation with your IT team, city manager, or council about cyber risk
Request a basic assessment or internal review using CIS or NIST frameworks
Contact a local MSP like SofTouch Systems for help with your first or next audit

A cybersecurity audit isn’t just another expense, it’s a preventive investment that saves time, money, and public trust.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

In 2025, the cost of inaction is measured in breached data, frozen systems, and angry constituents. A gov cybersecurity audit is your city’s digital smoke detector, and it only works if you check it.

Don’t wait for an emergency to start protecting what matters most.

Instagram Phishing Attacks Are Back: Here’s How to Protect Your Business and Staff

Phishing attacks are nothing new but cybercriminals continue to adapt their tactics, now blending social engineering with real platform features to trick even tech-savvy users.

A new phishing campaign targeting Instagram users is making the rounds in 2025, and it’s more convincing than most. While it may seem like something that only affects influencers or personal accounts, this scam has serious implications for businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities using Instagram for outreach or brand visibility.

Here’s what you need to know and how to keep your accounts and employees safe.

Instagram Phishing Scam: How to protect your business account with SofTouch Systems.

The Scam: Fake Copyright Violation Claims

Victims receive a direct message or email claiming their Instagram account has violated copyright law and will be disabled unless they respond. The message includes a legitimate-looking link to appeal the alleged violation.

But here’s the trick: the link leads to a fake login page that perfectly mimics Instagram’s interface. Once a user enters their credentials, attackers gain full access to the account, sometimes locking out the original user within minutes.

Why This Matters for Your Business or Agency

If your organization uses Instagram to:

  • Communicate with the public
  • Share updates or promotions
  • Post official alerts
  • Engage with your local community

…then you are a potential target. Social accounts are often managed by multiple team members, and one wrong click could result in:

  • Public-facing posts made by attackers
  • Loss of account access
  • Credential reuse that compromises other accounts
  • Reputational damage and public confusion

Worse, many attackers use compromised accounts to phish more victims, putting your audience at risk.

Warning Signs of This Instagram Phishing Scam

Here’s how to spot the fake messages:

  • Urgency or fear tactics (“Your account will be disabled in 24 hours”)
  • Poor grammar or off-brand formatting
  • Unusual sender address or profile name
  • Links that lead to non-Instagram domains (hover before you click)
  • Requests for passwords or 2FA codes

Instagram and Meta will never DM you about copyright violations, all official communication is through the in-app notification center or verified email addresses.

How to Protect Your Staff and Accounts

At SofTouch Systems, we recommend every organization take these basic steps:

✅ 1. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Add a layer of protection, even if your credentials are stolen, 2FA makes it harder to breach your account.

✅ 2. Assign Social Media Access Carefully

Use shared credential managers like Bitwarden, or assign platform-specific roles rather than sharing passwords.

✅ 3. Train Your Team

Anyone with social media access should receive brief training on how to spot phishing, especially on mobile devices.

✅ 4. Regularly Audit Who Has Access

Remove old logins, ex-employee access, or outdated integrations.

✅ 5. Use a Central Password Manager

Secure access to all your business platforms in one place with logs and alerts.

What SofTouch Systems Can Do for You

We help small businesses, nonprofits, and public sector organizations in Texas:

  • Assess social media access risks
  • Set up secure access and MFA policies
  • Provide staff phishing training
  • Manage passwords with encrypted, shared vaults
  • Monitor suspicious activity across your digital presence

If your organization relies on Instagram or Facebook to reach your audience, don’t wait for a hack to act.

Don’t Let a DM Take Down Your Brand

Phishing is getting more sophisticated, and your public-facing accounts are often the first place cybercriminals target. One employee mistake can snowball into a reputational crisis.

Stay vigilant, train your team, and secure your tools.

Need help reviewing your public accounts or access policies?
We’re here to help.

This Overlooked Windows Setting Leaves You Vulnerable: Here’s How to Fix It

For many small business owners, nonprofit managers, and city administrators, the idea of a cyberattack feels distant, until it isn’t. The reality is that most breaches don’t happen through brute force or sophisticated code. They happen because of misconfigured settings or basic security features being turned off.

One such example? Memory integrity protection, a powerful Windows security feature that’s disabled by default on many machines.

If your team relies on Windows 10 or Windows 11 devices, this guide will explain what this setting does, why it matters, and how to turn it on.

Memory Integrity Protection Disabled? Enable this vital windows security feature now!

What Is Memory Integrity Protection?

Memory integrity is part of Microsoft’s Core Isolation security system. It uses virtualization-based security to protect your computer from low-level attacks that target your system’s core processes.

Here’s what it does:

  • Prevents malicious code from injecting into high-level processes
  • Stops some forms of zero-day and kernel-level attacks
  • Adds an extra layer of protection to critical Windows functions

This feature is especially valuable for SMBs and government entities, where one infected machine can compromise shared files, connected drives, or cloud systems.

Why Is It Turned Off by Default?

The short answer: compatibility.

Memory integrity requires driver compliance, if your system has outdated, unsigned, or incompatible drivers (especially for older hardware or third-party devices), Windows turns the feature off automatically to prevent performance issues.

That means even brand-new business computers may not have this feature enabled unless someone specifically checks and resolves driver conflicts.

How to Check If It’s Enabled on Your Device

Here’s how to find out:

  1. Press Start and type Core Isolation
  2. Click on Core Isolation under Device Security
  3. Look for Memory Integrity
  4. If it says “Off”, click Turn On
  5. Reboot your system when prompted

⚠️ If you receive an error or warning about incompatible drivers, don’t ignore it, note the driver’s name and contact your IT support provider to update or replace it.

What to Do If Memory Integrity Won’t Turn On

Sometimes, enabling this setting isn’t straightforward. Here’s what you or your IT team should do:

  • Update drivers using the manufacturer’s official websites
  • Uninstall unused or legacy drivers that may be blocking the feature
  • Run Windows Update to check for system fixes
  • Consider a hardware refresh if you’re consistently running into driver issues on older machines

Why This Setting Is Especially Critical for Public Sector and Regulated Organizations

For municipalities, school districts, and nonprofits handling sensitive citizen or donor data, kernel-level attacks can:

  • Undermine compliance with data protection regulations
  • Bypass traditional antivirus systems
  • Result in complete control over your devices by attackers

Enabling memory integrity protection is one of the easiest ways to reduce risk, and most organizations don’t even know it’s turned off.

Enable this Windows security setting now! For any assistance please contact us at SofTouchSystems.com.

SofTouch Systems Can Help

At SofTouch Systems, we help organizations across Central and South Texas:

  • Perform security audits on Windows endpoints
  • Check for missing or misconfigured protections
  • Update and patch systems organization-wide
  • Develop IT security policies that include hardware and driver vetting

Whether you’re a small town with five machines or a nonprofit running remote staff, we can help you secure every layer of your infrastructure, starting with the settings most people overlook.

Don’t Wait for a Breach to Flip the Switch

Cybersecurity isn’t always about expensive software. Sometimes, it’s as simple as enabling the settings Microsoft gave you and making sure they work properly across your entire network.

Check your device today. Then make a plan to check every device in your office or agency. And if you’re not sure where to start, you don’t have to do it alone.