Government systems in the city of Dallas are expected to take weeks to return to full functionality following a ransomware attack by the Royal gang.
The attack caused significant damage to systems managing critical infrastructure, police, fire departments, courts, and more, leading to police officers resorting to handwritten notes and firefighters operating without vital digital information.
While progress has been made in restoring some systems, city officials anticipate an extended recovery period before normal operations can resume.
Dallas has been engaged in a massive recovery effort over the past two weeks, aiming to mitigate the impact of the ransomware attack. Despite partial restoration of dispatch systems for police and firefighters, there are still delays of five to ten minutes when running car or license tags.
The police department is currently in the process of rebuilding its records system, highlighting the extent of the damage caused by the attack.
The city’s chief information security officer acknowledged the complexity of the situation, stating that the cleanup and restoration process would require weeks and possibly months to complete.
While no data leaks have been identified so far, the restoration process involves thorough checking, cleaning, and restoring interoperability across various departmental devices, systems, and applications.
Dallas authorities assured the public that any restoration of currently unavailable public-facing services would be promptly communicated, and IT teams would continue working diligently to address the situation.
This ransomware incident in Dallas, affecting a city with a population of 1.3 million, is another example of cyberattacks targeting major U.S. municipal governments. The recent attack on the City of Oakland, which resulted in service disruptions and data leaks, further highlights the growing threat faced by local governments.
Dallas is exploring all available options to address the incident, but specific details regarding the investigation and vulnerabilities cannot be disclosed to avoid hindering the ongoing efforts.
