Dallas Texas Government Services Take a Hit Due to Recent Ransomware Attack

The City of Dallas, Texas, is the ninth largest in the United States currently, with a population of more than 2.6 million people. This massive city was just hit by a substantial ransomware attack by the Royal ransomware gang. The attack interfered with policy response time, 911 services, the police website, the city's court system, and more. With such significant interference occurring in the city's system of government, it's a serious issue for everyone in Dallas. This attack occurred recently, and it's a problem that all the residents of Dallas should be aware of. 

How Did the Attack Occur?

The city of Dallas, Texas, was hit by a ransomware attack that interfered with police services throughout the city. The Dallas Police Department website went down as a result of this attack, and the police weren't able to maintain communications and IT services as a result. The attack began on Monday, May 1, and it left 911 dispatchers writing down reports to give to the officers through a phone call rather than using the digital dispatch services for the fastest reporting. The attack also led to the city's court system canceling all jury trials and jury duty for a few days after the attack. 

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

According to the ransom note that was shared with Bleeping Computer, the attackers were able to encrypt and download a variety of confidential and protected documents from the city government. The data could include personal documents about government employees, and it could also include documents for other people that rely on government services. We don't have specific details about the data that could be exposed, but the City of Dallas maintains substantial financial and personal data files for many of its residents and employees. Anyone that entrusts data to Dallas could be impacted by this data breach. 

How Did Dallas Admit to the Breach?

The city of Dallas put out a media statement informing residents and government employees that key systems had been compromised and that the organization suffered from serious ransomware attacks. The city was hit on Monday, according to network monitoring tools in use by the city officials. Statements were quickly released just a few days later as members of the City's Incident Response Plan began working to restore full functionality to the police department and other key services. 

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

According to the Royal ransomware gang, the information stolen will be released to the public if the city doesn't pay the asked-for ransom amount. The gang explains that paying the ransom will make all the issues go away and is the fastest way to resolve the problem. It's unclear whether the city is going to meet the gang's demands just yet, but if the city doesn't, a large number of people will have their personal and financial data exposed.

What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?

Anyone that may be impacted by this ransomware attack should immediately begin monitoring their credit and financial accounts for potential issues. Personal and confidential information will likely be exposed because of this attack, and taking measures to protect yourself from the blowback is the best way to secure your information in the future.