Cybersecurity in Lombard Municipalities: State of the Art and Perspectives

Cybersecurity has become an imperative priority even for local authorities, who are facing increasingly complex challenges.

To address this crucial issue, the University of Milan, in collaboration with Ancilab, within the framework of the MUSA project, is organizing a conference entitled “Cybersecurity in Lombard Municipalities: State of the Art and Perspectives,” scheduled for February 13th, in the Napoleonic Hall of the University.

The event aims to be a meeting point and discussion platform for public administrators, representatives of local authorities, academic and business figures, with the aim of assessing the implementation status of cybersecurity measures in Lombard municipalities and identifying the main criticalities and challenges to be addressed.

A highlight of the conference will be the presentation of the results of an in-depth research conducted by the Department of Informatics of the University of Milan in collaboration with Ancilab, involving over 200 Lombard municipalities. The study examined competences in cybersecurity, the role of RTDs (Responsibles for Digital Transition), the level of protection of municipal websites, and the main cyber threats.

Despite the emergence of some critical issues, the investigation, based on unsupervised machine learning techniques, offers a substantially positive outlook, outlining promising scenarios for the future of cybersecurity at the local level.

The day’s program includes participant registration at 9:45, followed by institutional greetings and the presentation of the research methodology.

After the dissemination of key research data, a round table discussion will be held with representatives of institutions, including:

• Alessandro Fermi, Councillor for University, Research, Innovation of the Lombardy Region;
• Gianluca Ignagni, Chief of Staff of the National Cybersecurity Agency;
• Mauro Guerra, President of ANCI Lombardy.

The event will conclude with a session of open questions from the audience and a light lunch, offering further networking and idea exchange opportunities.

Cybersecurity is a fundamental pillar to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the services offered by municipalities to citizens, as well as to protect critical infrastructure from the growing cyber threats. This conference therefore emphasizes the shared commitment of institutions, academia, and the private sector in promoting a solid and resilient cybersecurity culture.

For more information, please contact the organization at meiec@unimi.it.