Fort Worth, Texas, government officials have confirmed a cyber incident on a website housing government information but downplayed the severity of the breach. The hacking group SiegedSec claimed responsibility, stating that it stole approximately 500,000 files, including administrator credentials, work orders, employee lists, invoices, police reports, emails, internal documents, and camera footage, totaling about 180GB of data.
The group attributed the attack to opposition to Texas state politics, specifically the state’s stance on gender-affirming care. Fort Worth’s Chief Technology Officer, Kevin Gunn, acknowledged the attack but emphasized that the compromised data came from a system used for maintenance activities, not the city’s public-facing intranet website.
While SiegedSec claimed to have accessed sensitive information, Gunn asserted that their investigation found no indication of sensitive data related to residents, businesses, or employees being released. The leaked documents mainly pertained to routine matters like potholes or sidewalk repairs and were not deemed sensitive. Despite the breach, Gunn clarified that no ransomware was involved, distinguishing it from a recent devastating ransomware attack on the city of Dallas.
The motive behind SiegedSec’s actions remains unclear, and Gunn suggested their interest lay in embarrassing the city and making a political statement. The city is offering credit monitoring services if the investigation reveals the inclusion of sensitive data in the leaked information.
