Hacker Gang SigedSec Makes a Statement By Hacking Fort Worth, Texas
Table of Contents
- By Steven
- Published: Jun 26, 2023
- Last Updated: Jun 26, 2023
Fort Worth is the fifth largest city in the state of Texas and approximately the 12th largest in the United States. The city is home to over 900,000 people and maintains a staff of thousands of individuals. The state manages a substantial amount of data in its servers, including public and private information that could be harmful if taken and shared with people online. That's why we were worried when we noted the city was breached, and over 500,000 files were taken.
How Did the Attack Occur?
A hacker group called SiegedSec made a direct attack on the city of Fort Worth, Texas. The attack was possible because the gang stole login details about the View Works program used by the city's government officials. Once inside the program, the attackers had access to huge amounts of public information. The city was notified of the attack by the Texas Department of Info Resources and was alarmed to see how much information was released online for anyone to see.
What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?
The majority of data shared in this breach isn't personal, sensitive, or harmful to individuals or employees. Instead, it's internal employee documents, police reports, public works projects, construction plans, repair projects, and more. Data from agencies like Parks and Recreation, the Department of Transportation, and the Public Works program was taken and exposed online. More than 500,000 files were uploaded online and made readily available to anyone.
How Did Fort Worth Admit to the Breach?
The city didn't put out a formal statement about the breach, and instead, newspapers and private groups are reporting on the breach. Since no harmful personal data was shared in this cyber attack, the city isn't required to release official statements about the attack, and it hasn't.
What Will Become of the Stolen Information?
All the data taken in the Fort Worth breach has been put up online for everyone to access. The information is largely unharmful and is more of a statement that the hackers can get into the state's files and take information whenever they want to. It's a statement that the hacker group doesn't agree with the public healthcare policies in Texas and that the group demands change or threatens future attacks on the city and other private and public groups.
What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?
Private parties aren't likely to be impacted by this data breach and have nothing to worry about or to do. The city is revamping its security policies and looking at ways it can protect its files more effectively. This attack isn't a terrible one for individuals, but it shows the power of hacker gangs and what they can accomplish when they have a cause to fight for. SigedSec isn't hoping for a payout, and this attack is purely to help push for social change. It's one of many attacks by the group, and it's possible that hackers will help shape future government and political decisions through their efforts; whether that's good or bad, we cannot say.
