Twelve German towns unite to strengthen cyber defenses in historic alliance
Twelve municipalities and Groß-Gerau District have joined forces to bolster cyber security, forming an alliance in February 2023. The intermunicipal cyber security project aims to enhance information security across town halls and the district administration, with significant advantages identified for future collaboration.
The alliance, a result of a decade-long effort to expand intermunicipal cooperation, comprises Biebesheim am Rhein, Bischofsheim, Büttelborn, Gernsheim, Ginsheim-Gustavsburg, Groß-Gerau, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Nauheim, Raunheim, Riedstadt, Rüsselsheim, Stockstadt am Rhein, and Groß-Gerau District. The project, initiated by Marion Götz, head of the cyber security steering group, has developed immediate measures including a Municipal Cyber Security Strategy, awareness training, emergency protocols, and staff sensitization campaigns.
Supported by the state of Hesse, the project has revealed the benefits of intermunicipal collaboration, such as improved quality, effectiveness, efficiency, cost savings, and knowledge sharing. By spring 2024, legal and organizational frameworks were established, and necessary resolutions were adopted by the municipalities and district council. An intermunicipal cyber security office will be set up within Groß-Gerau District's administration by the end of the year.
The Groß-Gerau cyber security project, launched in 2023, has successfully fostered intermunicipal collaboration. With immediate measures in place and an intermunicipal cyber security office on the horizon, the alliance is well-equipped to strengthen cyber security and share knowledge among its members.
