Already under attack by cybercriminals and ransomware operators, state and local government are facing heightened cybersecurity threats as they move into the second half of 2020, when they will be required to manage elections while dealing with hard economic choices, experts said this week.

State and local governments have struggled with cybersecurity for years, but the next six months will simultaneously raise the stakes while posing new challenges. The combination of reduced tax revenues and the additional costs caused by the pandemic could strain budgets for typical cost centers such as cybersecurity. Already, government-focused companies have noticed a significant loss of focus on cybersecurity in their state and local government clients.