Texas Municipality ransomware attack (2019)
| Date | 19 August 2019[1] |
|---|---|
| Suspected actor | Unclear[2], most likely a single threat actor.[3] |
| Target | 22 small towns in Texas, U.S.[4] |
| Method | Targeting shared service providers of multiple municipalities[2] |
| Purpose | Unclear. |
| Result | More than 40 municipalities have been targeted by ransomware attacks over the summer of 2019.[5] The attack on Texas municipalities, however, has been described as the most coordinated attack among all of them.[2] As a result of the attack, city workers were unable to accept payments and to access vital records, including birth and death certificates.[6] |
| Aftermath | The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) has led the response to this ransomware attack and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) initiated investigations into the origin of the attack.[3] Immediately after the attack, the municipalities were assisted by numerous federal and state agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, Texas A&M’s Information Technology and Electronic Crime Unit and the Texas Military Department.[1] |
| Analysed in | Scenario 14: Ransomware campaign |
Collected by: Nele Achten
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kate Fazzini, “Alarm in Texas as 23 towns hit by ‘coordinated’ ransomware attack”, 19 August 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Manny Fernandez, Mihir Zaveri and Emily S. Rueb, “Ransomware Attack Hits 22 Texas Towns, Authorities Say”, 20 August 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Texas Department of Information Resources, “Update on the August 2019 Texas Cyber Incident”, 20 August 2019.
- ↑ Bobby Allyn, “22 Texas Towns Hit With Ransomware Attack In 'New Front' Of Cyberassault”, 20 August 2019.
- ↑ Niraj Chokshi, “Hackers Are Holding Baltimore Hostage: How They Struck and What’s Next”, 22 May 2019.
- ↑ Kathleen Foody and Jake Bleiberg, AP, “Ransomware attack hits more than 20 Texas local governments”, 20 August 2019.