State and local governments have become big targets for cybercriminals, an expert said last week as officials worked to counter a cyberattack that has hobbled Nevada’s computer network.

“These are the organizations that operate much of the country’s critical infrastructure,” said Robert Beach, who represents a national cyber coalition that includes all 50 states, as well as cities, territories and tribes.

These governments provide “the services that Americans depend on every single day,” which, in the eyes of attackers, gives them leverage, he said in a phone interview Thursday. Beach is an executive committee member of the Multi-State Information Sharing &Analysis Center.

The attack on Nevada’s network, identified on Aug. 24, interrupted a range of state services, from the Supplemental

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