Ransomware attack affects Dallas police, court websites
Authorities say Dallas was hit with a computer ransomware attack that brought down its Police Department and City Hall websites and caused some jury trials to be canceled
DALLAS AP" target="_self">(AP) — Dallas was hit with a computer ransomware attack Wednesday that brought down its Police Department and City Hall websites and caused some jury trials to be canceled, officials said.
The outage didn't appear to affect 911 calls. However, it did cause problems with a computer-assisted dispatch system that is used to help firefighters respond to emergency calls, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans told the Dallas Morning News.
“DFR has been running on manual dispatch operations since early this morning,” Evans said.
Ransomware involves hackers essentially holding a target computer or computer system hostage by encrypting its files and demanding payment, often via bitcoin. Ransomware can target individuals, businesses and governments alike.
