Case | Kalix municipality
Everything in the cloud – after massive cyber attack
When the municipality of Kalix suffered a hacker attack, its entire IT system was down and its 1,600 employees were suddenly unable to communicate with each other. The municipality's message to others? To use the cloud and let a third party manage the operation.
Background and challenge
Kalix municipality's intranet had long since lost its function as the preferred communication channel. The version was so old that it could not be updated and employees had started using other channels to reach each other. Work was underway to create a new, smarter intranet when, on December 16, 2021, the company was suddenly attacked.
"Everything was down"
The attack, a so-called ransomeware attack, affected virtually all the municipality's operational systems. E-mail and ventilation were down, and it was also not possible to pay salaries and income support. It also became a matter of life and health: how could we ensure that elderly people in home care received their medication, for example?
– We soon had to shut down the entire network to stop the attack and ensure that they did not access sensitive information. As both the external web and intranet were on our own servers, this meant that these were also shut down, says Pernilla Jansson, communications officer at Kalix municipality.
Solution
New intranet - in 10 days
There was no channel to reach all employees, the situation was untenable and the need for a new intranet was great. The municipality, which before the attack had been about to switch to the cloud service Sitevision Cloud for their intranet, was now in a hurry. And within just a week and a half, they had a new intranet.
– The fact that it could be solved so quickly meant a lot. Quick feedback is crucial in a situation like this, says Pernilla Jansson.
the result
"Safety first"
Today, Kalix municipality has a user-friendly and modern intranet that can be accessed no matter where you are.
– "We wanted a reliable and credible channel for internal communication and to create that 'we' feeling, and now we are well on our way, says Pernilla Jansson.
Before the attack, the municipality had all its operations on its own servers, but the crash made them rethink. Do you need to sit on everything yourself? Instead of letting your own staff handle yet another tool, why not let the supplier handle the operation?
– This is really our message to others, make sure you have secure and stable solutions to reach out with information in case of a crisis. Clear and accessible information that is continuously updated avoids unnecessary worry and misunderstanding and builds trust.