The funds come from the Cabinet Office’s National Cyber Security Programme and will be used to conduct a “stock take” of local authorities’ existing cyber security arrangements.
Paul Bettison, chair of the LGA’s improvement and innovation board, said: “Councils take cyber security extremely seriously, but as we have seen through recent attacks, there is a constant need to review and bolster cyber security defences where appropriate.
“Councils hold significant amounts of sensitive data which is why it is hugely important that we have the necessary protections in place.
“This funding will be used by the LGA to help councils share best practice and strengthen their ability to mitigate against cyber threats.”
The funding is for the 2018-19 financial year and there will be an opportunity to bid for further funding in the autumn.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “We encourage all public sector organisations to improve their resilience by implementing advice from the National Cyber Security Centre.”
In 2016, as part of the National Cyber Security Strategy, the government committed to investing £1.9bn between 2016 and 2021 to make the UK “secure and resilient to cyber threats, prosperous and confident in the digital world.”
Read PF’s report on how local authorities are dealing with cyber threats
