Washington, D.C. & Research Triangle Park, N.C. – Local governments are modernizing services, expanding digital infrastructure and adopting artificial intelligence while defending against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats — all with limited staff and constrained budgets. To help meet that challenge, the National League of Cities (NLC) and CyberAlliance are partnering on a new effort to help cities, towns and villages better understand cyber risk, strengthen governance and build long-term resilience.
As an NLC Enterprise Partner, CyberAlliance provides educational resources, benchmarking tools and practical guidance to help local leaders prioritize cybersecurity investments and make informed governance decisions. Rather than replacing existing technology, the initiative helps local leaders answer the questions they face every day, including:
- Where are our greatest risks?
- What should we fix first?
- Are we investing in the right areas?
- How do we explain cyber risk to elected officials, insurers and our communities?
“Our NLC members always tell us they need practical guidance, not more complexity when it comes to protecting critical systems,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO & Executive Director of the National League of Cities. “Our partnership with CyberAlliance is about providing local governments with the knowledge and resources that local leaders need to make informed decisions that create strong, resilient essential public services.”
The initiative comes as cyber threats against local governments continue to grow and federal cybersecurity programs evolve. At the same time, cities are deploying artificial intelligence, modernizing digital services and facing increasing expectations from residents, insurers, regulators and governing boards.
Many communities lack the internal cybersecurity staff needed to keep pace with these evolving demands.
Throughout the coming year, participating municipalities will have access to educational workshops, executive briefings, cyber benchmarking, governance resources and AI-powered decision support designed specifically for local government.
At the center of the program is Sally AI, CyberAlliance’s cyber intelligence platform that transforms technical cybersecurity information into clear recommendations city leaders can understand and act upon.
Sally AI helps municipalities translate technical cybersecurity findings into practical guidance, prioritize the most significant risks and better inform future investments.
“Most cities don’t need another dashboard,” said Kendrall Felder, Co-founder and CEO of CyberAlliance. “They need clarity. Our goal is to help municipal leaders understand their cyber risk in plain language so they can make confident decisions before a crisis occurs.”
Larry Yon, Co-founder of CyberAlliance, added, “Every municipality deserves access to high-quality cybersecurity guidance regardless of size or budget. Whether a city has two IT employees or 200, they should have the ability to make informed, defensible cybersecurity decisions.”
The initiative will begin with a national municipal benchmarking campaign and educational series, allowing participating communities to better understand how they compare with peers while identifying practical opportunities to strengthen cyber resilience.
The program complements existing cybersecurity investments and frameworks and is designed to work alongside the technologies municipalities already use.
As municipalities prepare budgets, evaluate cyber insurance, modernize services and expand the use of artificial intelligence, the need for practical cybersecurity leadership has never been greater.
Communities can learn more about participating in the National Municipal Cyber Resilience Initiative.
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About the National League of Cities
The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America’s cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people across the country. NLC works to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy and drive innovative solutions. Stay connected with NLC on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About CyberAlliance
CyberAlliance is a U.S.-based cybersecurity company helping public-sector organizations understand, govern and reduce cyber risk. Through education, benchmarking and AI-powered technologies including Sally AI, CyberAlliance enables leaders to make informed cybersecurity decisions that protect critical public services.
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