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City of Richardson reacting after cyber security attack

The city of Richardson is reacting after an external party attempted to encrypt files on the city's network.
Credit: City of Richardson

RICHARDSON, Texas — The city of Richardson is responding with caution after a cyber attack on its servers.

According to a release from the city, an external party gained access to city servers at 6:22 a.m. on Wednesday and tried to encrypt data files on the network. The city says a small number of files were encrypted, but network security systems prevented further damage.

In the statement, the city says the specific type of data that was compromised is still under review, but "there is no early indication sensitive data was accessed."

According to city officials, while access to internal systems is limited, essential services like emergency response, online payments, solid waste services and other customer portals are still available.

The city says they are cooperating with the FBI, which is investigating, and the Department of Homeland Security 

“The threat of these incidents is a reality that all cities face, and it is something we have been diligently preparing for,” said City Manager Don Magner. “At this point, our security protocols seem to have successfully minimized the impact, and we hope this continues. We are doing everything in our power to restore our systems as quickly as possible and will identify resources necessary to assist affected individuals, if necessary.”

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