The Texas Department of Information Resources said, “the majority of these entities were smaller local governments.” Ransomware attacks against cities have locked officials out of systems for weeks, which can be very costly, CNBC reports.
In response, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a “Level 2 Escalated Response.” This is one step below the state’s highest level of alert. A level two response means “the scope of the emergency has expanded beyond that which can be handled by local responders. Normal state and local government operations may be impaired.”
While officials do not know the source of the ransomware attack, they have determined that one “threat actor” was responsible for the 23 attacks, CNBC reports.
Texas is working with various federal and state agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and Texas Military Department, to bring the cities back online.
More articles on cybersecurity:
3 email cybersecurity vulnerabilities specific to healthcare
Ohio ophthalmology practice hit by ransomware attack
NYC fire department loses external storage device with 10,000+ patients’ information
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