Forty-four percent of local governments report that they regularly face cyberattacks, on either an hourly or daily basis. More troubling is the high percentage of governments that do not know how often they are attacked (28 percent) or breached (41 percent). Further, a majority of local governments do not catalog or count attacks (54 percent).

This is not just an American problem. Last month, at a conference in Tel Aviv, Tamir Pardo, the former head of Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency, said that most local government leaders around the world do not fully understand how serious a threat cyberattacks are and have not imaginatively assessed the consequences of inaction. He described cyberthreats as “soft nuclear weapons” that one day may be used to start and finish a war without firing a shot.

So what should local governments do to improve their cybersecurity apparatus to help prevent or mitigate damage from future attacks like the one experienced in Atlanta, or from those contemplated by Mr. Pardo?

First, local leaders must create a culture of cybersecurity that imagines worst-case scenarios and explores a range of solutions to mitigate threats to the ecosystem of local government technology. This should involve prioritizing funding for cybersecurity, establishing stronger cybersecurity policies and training employees in cybersecurity protocols. Success will require collaboration with local elected officials, internet-technology and cybersecurity staff members, department managers and end users.

Cybersecurity is more than just the I.T. department’s problem. It must now also be a top priority along the entire chain of elected and appointed officials in and around local governments. Preventing and mitigating the effects of future attacks will require intergovernmental cooperation, because localities work together across state lines and collaborate with the federal government on crucial tasks like running elections, managing transportation and sharing intelligence.