Risk Intelligence Bureau for Local Government

No problem. Matryx liaises directly with each councils’ security providers to capture and anonymise events and incidents, building valuable intelligence across all participating LGA, creating proactive, risk-reduction strategies for all to harness.

Each client organisation reports their events or incidents to us on a regular basis, either via email or a direct feed to an internal reporting tool. This can include items relating to people/ property/ assets, cyber and information or both.

This data is anonymised and allows us to track and report trends and areas of concern across your council and others. We draw your attention to current and emerging threats with suggested remedial actions – reducing your exposure to risk and maximising your security spend.

The level of report customisation and individual support provided will depend on the the service tier you select.

A local government Bureau member had an incident that involved a constituent releasing a pepper-like spray towards staff in a council reception area. They were unprepared to deal with an incident such as this. The air conditioning system exacerbated the problem by further dispersing the gas within the office area.

By capturing this incident, the Bureau alerts all councils and advises them on how to adequately prepare and manage such a risk.

Another example is a ransomware attack occurring in a regional council. A hacker encrypts and locks system files, then demands a payment to decrypt and unlock them. While initially uncertain what data is accessed or uploaded from the council’s system, this incident is captured, de-identified and shared with Bureau members to create immediate awareness, and to prompt a check of the technology controls needed to mitigate the risk of a ransomware attack and reputational damage.

Data is securely held in Australia on a cloud-based platform.

Matryx securely accesses and anonymises events and incidents recorded by a participating LGA. Local governments can differ in their approach to incident reporting. We will work with you to find the most suitable and secure method for your organisation.

Matryx analyses recorded events and provides advice on individual events and incidents, and sector-wide, de-identified trends analysis of emerging patterns and outliers. The advice is emailed as an Intelligence Report to nominated stakeholders within the local council.

The Risk Intelligence Bureau is structured as a low monthly subscription, with three tiered options to choose from. The Pilot Program is free for participating councils.

Local government organisations of any size are suitable.

The Bureau is undertaking a no-fee pilot program in 2024, soliciting feedback from pilot participants. The objectives of the pilot program are to:

• Learn and develop together through feedback and identification of product and process improvements.
• Mature the capability of the Bureau, ready for market launch.
• Mature the capability of councils as collective sector, to anticipate and manage security risk.