Ajuntament de Caldes de Montbui

The Ajuntament de Caldes de Montbui is the municipal administration responsible for governing the town of Caldes de Montbui in Catalonia, Spain. It provides a range of public services to residents, including civil registration, local taxation, urban planning, and the maintenance of public spaces and infrastructure. The organisation also operates digital platforms that enable citizens to conduct transactions such as permit applications, fee payments, and requests for official documents online. As a local government body, it implements policies set by higher authorities while addressing the specific needs of its community within the framework of Spanish municipal law. Its daily operations involve coordinating with various departments to ensure the delivery of essential services like waste collection, street lighting, and social support programmes. The administration also engages in cultural promotion and organises local events that contribute to the town’s social cohesion. In carrying out these functions, it relies on both traditional office work and increasingly on information technology systems to improve efficiency and accessibility for the public.

A notable distinguishing attribute of the Ajuntament de Caldes de Montbui is its response to a ransomware incident that occurred on 30 April 2022, when attackers disrupted all digital services and demanded payment to restore access. The municipality publicly refused to negotiate or pay the ransom, stating that it would not engage with those responsible for the attack. Following the incident, the organisation reported the breach to regional police and cybersecurity authorities and chose to keep its systems intentionally locked down during recovery to ensure security before restoring services. This approach highlighted a commitment to cybersecurity resilience and a preference for safeguarding public data over yielding to extortion demands. The event also underscored the growing exposure of local governments to financially motivated cyber threats and the importance of having incident response protocols in place. While specific details about data compromise were not disclosed, the episode demonstrated the administration’s transparency in communicating with citizens and authorities during a crisis. The municipality’s handling of the attack has become a reference point for other public entities facing similar challenges in the region.