DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) — The city of Dallas revealed Tuesday that more than 26,000 people were affected by a ransomware attack that occurred three months ago.
In early May, hackers accessed names, addresses, medical data and other information through city government servers.
a A group called “Royal” He then claimed to have encrypted sensitive city data and threatened to post sensitive information online.Allegations of cyber intrusion also had an impact. 911 Dispatch Service For police, fire departments, local courts, water utilities, and other services.
city of dallas
In total, 26,212 people were affected. And he told CBS News Texas that he then learned that some city employees had already reported identity theft. Additionally, some children have had their personal information stolen.
“Unfortunately, it was as expected,” said Jim McDade, president of the Dallas Fire Protection Association. “That's why I turned off my identity theft protection in May.”
McDade, whose personal information was also compromised, said his 1,500 members are furious at what appears to be a slow response from the city.
Additionally, he said his 10-year-old son and the children and spouses of other city employees also had their information stolen.
Cybersecurity expert Andrew Sternke said that if a child is a victim, they may continue to be affected by the attack into adulthood.
“This information is published on the dark web to be sold,” Sternke said. “Once that child turns 18, it's free, and that's another worrying aspect: It's not just adults we have to worry about.”
These concerns prompted the city to issue a statement defending the time it took to report its findings on the ransomware attack.
“On June 14, 2023, and during an investigation in the following weeks, it was determined that the files accessed contained sensitive information of certain individuals. The initial stages of the investigation and data review were completed in late July. and identified who and what information was involved in this incident.'' “
This will provide two years of free credit monitoring to those whose personal information has been stolen.
Read the complete timeline of the ransomware attack and its aftermath on the City of Dallas website.
CBS Texas Staff
