Government Types & Security Coverage
The U.S. Census Bureau classifies governments into two major categories: General Purpose (cities, counties, towns, townships, boroughs) that serve all residents in a geographic area, and Special Districts (schools, fire, water, housing, transit, utilities) that serve a single function. Here is how each type performs on cybersecurity.
Breakdown by Unit Type
Each government class contains multiple unit types. The table shows how each type performs across three security areas: Web Security (SSL, HTTPS, HSTS, certificates, CAA, security headers), Email Security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MTA-STS, TLS-RPT), and DNS & Infrastructure (DNSSEC, IPv6, RPKI).
| Unit Type | Class | Count | Grade | Web Security | Email Security | DNS & Infra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special District | Special | 8,764 | D+ | 51% |
25% |
32% |
| Municipal | General | 7,659 | D+ | 44% |
25% |
27% |
| Township | General | 2,955 | D | 44% |
24% |
29% |
| County | General | 1,743 | D+ | 41% |
28% |
28% |
| Emergency Communications District | Special | 1 | A+ | 100% |
100% |
100% |
| State | Special | 1 | B- | 75% |
40% |
67% |
What These Groups Cover
Web Security (8 checks)
SSL/TLS encryption, HTTPS redirect enforcement, HSTS, certificate validation, CAA records, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, and security.txt. These protect citizens when they visit a government website.
Email Security (5 checks)
SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MTA-STS, and TLS-RPT. These prevent attackers from sending fake emails that appear to come from a government domain -- the #1 vector for phishing attacks.
DNS & Infrastructure (3 checks)
DNSSEC, IPv6 support, and RPKI validation. These protect the foundational routing and name resolution that citizens rely on to reach government services.
Special Districts Are Especially Vulnerable
Special districts often handle highly sensitive data -- housing applications, utility billing, medical records, student information -- yet they typically have minimal IT staffing and no dedicated cybersecurity budget. Many are governed by appointed boards with no public accountability for security failures.
When a special district is breached, taxpayers pay the cost -- through emergency IT contractors, regulatory fines, credit monitoring services, and cyber insurance premium increases. And if the district failed to implement basic security controls, insurance may not cover the loss at all.