Dallas ransomware attack sparks data compromise concerns

Despite officials in the City of Dallas reassuring that no data leak has resulted from a ransomware attack earlier this month, Dallas Fire Fighters Association President Jim McDade has noted that not enough has been done to ensure that data from the city's nearly 14,000 employees are protected against compromise, CBS News Texas reports. Both Dallas Fire Fighters Association and Police Association have written a letter to the city manager urging the purchase of free identity theft protection covering all city government employees for five years as a minimum measure to provide personal financial data protection but the city has yet to respond to the request, according to McDade. Such an attack has already prompted other North Texas cities to bolster defenses against cyberattacks. "We sent out reminders to all employees to be vigilant and aware of threats that can come through email, web browsing, text messages, and even phone conversations. We have increased monitoring of our computing and communications systems and the sensitivity of the monitoring, looking for indications of a ransomware or other attack," said City of Fort Worth Chief Technology Officer Kevin Gunn.