800.310.2739
On Wednesday, May 3rd, the City of Dallas, Texas issued a statement acknowledging a ransomware attack on several servers, which has affected the Dallas Police Department’s website. However, according to a statement by the city there has been a limited impact on the services provided to residents. City officials are currently working to isolate the malicious software and restore any affected services.
A public information officer for the Dallas Police Department stated that “the department is facing an outage in the city,” but did not provide any information on how it has impacted the department.
On the afternoon of May 3rd, there were reports of computer outages and connectivity issues at other Dallas government agencies.
According to an anonymous staff member who answered a call on Wednesday afternoon, the computer system responsible for processing records for the Dallas Court and Detention Services Department has been down since 6 a.m. that day. The staff member declined to give their full name but confirmed that the system outage has made it difficult to access information such as citations and traffic tickets. The cause of the outage is still unknown.
This is not an isolated incident as several other major American cities’ police departments have also
On Wednesday, May 3rd, the City of Dallas, Texas issued a statement acknowledging a ransomware attack on several servers, which has affected the Dallas Police Department’s website. However, according to a statement by the city there has been a limited impact on the services provided to residents. City officials are currently working to isolate the malicious software and restore any affected services.
A public information officer for the Dallas Police Department stated that “the department is facing an outage in the city,” but did not provide any information on how it has impacted the department.
On the afternoon of May 3rd, there were reports of computer outages and connectivity issues at other Dallas government agencies.
According to an anonymous staff member who answered a call on Wednesday afternoon, the computer system responsible for processing records for the Dallas Court and Detention Services Department has been down since 6 a.m. that day. The staff member declined to give their full name but confirmed that the system outage has made it difficult to access information such as citations and traffic tickets. The cause of the outage is still unknown.
This is not an isolated incident as several other major American cities’ police departments have also
been affected by similar attacks in the past. The Washington, DC, Police Department fell victim to a ransomware attack in 2021, where a Russian-speaking criminal group leaked a large amount of data online.
Ransomware attacks, which involve the encryption of computer files by hackers who then demand a ransom, have been a lasting threat to state and local governments due to limited resources and personnel to deal with such attacks. For instance, a ransomware attack on Baltimore in 2019 prevented the city from processing water-billing payments for three months, costing the city an estimated $18 million. Similarly, in January 2022, two separate cyberattacks disrupted public services in New Mexico’s most populous county, leading to the temporary closure of Albuquerque public schools and disabling cameras at a local jail.
To address the issue, federal officials are providing federal funding and launching a new program to warn vulnerable organizations about potential hacking threats. Quentin Rhoads-Herrera, the CEO of security firm Vector0, said that “we commonly find their security posture to be weaker than that of the average corporate company. This is not due to a lack of concern, but rather a lack of resources and manpower to address the ever-growing challenges of cybersecurity.”
Apex Technology Management has established itself as a reliable and trustworthy partner for businesses and cities across California. With a strong focus on Cybersecurity, we understand the importance of identifying potential risks and taking action to mitigate them. Our team of IT and Cybersecurity experts are well-equipped to guide you through this process, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of your organization’s vulnerabilities and offering a tailored action plan to secure your operations. By partnering with Apex Technology Management, you can rest assured that your business is in safe hands, allowing you to focus on what truly matters, your core operations and growth.
Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/politics/ransomware-dallas-police-department/index.html
(530) 248-1000