1,200 cybersecurity incidents reported in one year in local authorities, no regulation requiring small municipalities to secure their email accounts, but a digitization of acts that knows no exceptions. The equation is harsh: every day, hundreds of municipalities expose their data and that of their citizens, often without fully grasping the implications.
The Interministerial Digital Directorate reported over 1,200 incidents related to email in local authorities just in 2023. Faced with this tidal wave, national measures struggle to meet the daily needs of small structures. Too often, a lack of resources and skills hinders any serious attempt at securing systems.
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Email Security: A Priority for Municipalities
Local authorities can no longer ignore the rise in cyberattacks. The figures reveal vulnerability: nearly one in two municipalities does not have an official domain name; 21,000 municipalities still use public email addresses. As a result, agents and elected officials see sensitive information circulating daily through inadequate solutions, jeopardizing the integrity of administrative documents.
The National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) points to outdated practices, a lack of awareness of current threats, and above all, far too limited technical resources. In the absence of a budget, the choice falls on free public email services. This is a gaping flaw: the continuity of public service is weakened, exposed to intrusion and data theft.
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The site Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr warns relentlessly: email remains the most direct route for hackers. Phishing, ransomware, identity theft primarily target the most vulnerable structures. A concrete example: Zimbra in Bonneuil embodies the efforts made to secure exchanges. But on a national scale, these initiatives are progressing slowly, while the risk does not slow down.
To elevate security to the necessary level, a change in digital culture is essential. Several levers need to be activated to achieve this:
- Conduct a thorough audit of practices
- Provide proper training for all teams
- Share and pool resources and expertise
- Rely on expert support from ANSSI
Committing to a strong email system is not just a technical choice: it involves trust in local public service and respect for citizens’ privacy.
What Steps Can Be Taken to Better Regulate Email and Digital Exchange Security?
Pressure is mounting on local public actors. Cyberattacks are increasing, as are the demands for regulating usage. The Code of Relations Between the Public and the Administration specifies access to administrative documents: once an email is exchanged by a mayor, deputy, or elected official in the course of their duties, it becomes accessible to any citizen who requests it.
The Council of State is unequivocal: it is the content and purpose of an email that matter, not the address used.
To concretely support local authorities, the State is putting forward its Territorial Digital Suite. With the support of ANSSI, the National Agency for the Cohesion of Territories (ANCT) has designed a secure digital platform, which is much more than just an email service: it includes storage space, a dedicated administration interface, and the ProConnect connector to ensure robust authentication. All of this is based on a sovereign cloud labeled SecNumCloud, so that confidentiality and reliability of exchanges are no longer negotiable.
What the ANCT Platform Offers, Specifically
Each module addresses identified needs on the ground:
- Centralized management of institutional domain names
- Professional collaborative messaging with address book, tasks, and shared calendars
- Secure storage suitable for official documents
- Intuitive administration interface for agents and elected officials
Local experiments, such as in Varzy, allow for adjustments to this offering based on real experiences. Associations of elected officials, management centers, and pooled structures are collaboratively refining a solution tailored to the diversity of territories. To help municipalities make the leap, migration tutorials accompany the transition to new digital tools. Moving away from improvisation means restoring the importance of security in exchanges. When will the moment come when no one will accept entrusting democratic trust to a vulnerable email system?