--- title: "23 Local Governments in Texas Slammed By Ransomware Attack" description: "23 local government organizations in Texas were hit by the same coordinated ransomware attack last week, Ars Technica reports." date: "2019-08-20" modified: "2019-08-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/23-towns-texas-ransomware-attack" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "cybercrime" - "ransomware" - "texas" - "the digest" --- # 23 Local Governments in Texas Slammed By Ransomware Attack ![23 local government organizations in Texas were hit by the same coordinated ransomware attack last week, Ars Technica reports.]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* ## Coordinated Attack 23 local government organizations in Texas were hit by the same coordinated ransomware attack last week, [*Ars Technica* reports](). Local authorities have yet to confirm which organizations are affected by the attack — all we know so far is that it came from one single source. "Investigations into the origin of this attack are ongoing; however, response and recovery are the priority at this time," a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Information Resources told *Ars*. ## Mess With Texas While the exact methodology of the attackers has yet to be revealed, hackers often tend to exploit simple vulnerabilities such as government employees unknowingly clicking on suspicious links or attachments in emails, or weak passwords. Federal organizations including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are coordinating with local Texas response teams to get the systems back up and running, [according to]() the Texas Department of Information Resources. ## Ransomware Epidemic It's far from the first ransomware attack on a local municipality. Cybercriminals held the entire city of Baltimore hostage in May, seizing control of about [10,000]() of the city's computers. And in March 2018, a ransomware attack [trapped]() the city of Atlanta's data behind an encrypted wall, demanding a ransom of $51,000 in bitcoin. In July, a coalition of 225 U.S. mayors [signed a resolution]() vowing to stop paying ransoms to hackers who compromise their cities’ digital infrastructure. The resolution pointed out that 148 attacks have hit American cities since 2013 and 22 cities were hit in 2019 alone. **READ MORE:** [Ransomware strike takes down 23 Texas local government agencies]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on ransomware:** *[225 US Mayors Agree to Stop Paying Ransomware Hackers]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()