FORT WORTH, Texas — Some Tarrant County property owners are left with a lot of unanswered questions about the latest breach at Tarrant Appraisal District.
Right now, homeowners are wondering if their personal information shared with TAD is at risk. Cybersecurity experts warn threats from hackers should be taken seriously. They also warn homeowners to take steps to protect their information.
Reed Bilz has become all too familiar with the TAD after buying a home for her son in the Como area and already owning a condo in Tarrant County. She is originally from the Philadelphia area, but thanks to her military travels both abroad and across the U.S. she considers herself a true Texan now.
"I like the fact that we don't have bad snow because I'm from the Northeast," Reed Bilz said.
Watch the full interview with Reed Bilz here:
Now, after moving to Texas 50 years ago, Bilz enjoys relaxing at home and reading her favorite books. But in 2021, like many homeowners, her home's appraised value shot through the roof. TAD heard from her during protest season.
"All they wanted to hear was what the appraisal guy's recommendation was, and they just took it without any consideration," said Bilz. "And I was really annoyed."
Now, Bilz said she is even more annoyed about her personal information being at risk again.
In October 2022, there was a security breach. TAD launched a new website in 2023. But on March 14, hackers used ransomware to demand $700,000 from TAD or they would release sensitive data. Instead, TAD voted to spend $235,000 on things like new software.
Cybersecurity expert Martin Yarborough takes the threats from hackers seriously, especially since he lives in Tarrant County.
"When I heard initially of the ransomware, the first thing I did, I went in and I put a lock on my credit so that nobody could grab my credit," Martin Yarborough said.
He and other cyber security experts recommend Tarrant County residents change their online passwords to something complex, use multiple-factor authentication, and monitor their credit. After taking steps to protect her information, Bilz is holding TAD accountable.
"They definitely should be accountable," Bilz said. "They should have installed all this security that they're now planning to install."
