ALSO TRY TO LIMIT YOUR TIME
OUTDOORS. >>> THE CITY OF DALLAS TODAY
AGREED TO PAY $8.5 MILLION IN
EXPENSES RELATED TO A RANSOMWARE
ATTACK.
AND WE DON’T KNOW IF THE MONEY
INCLUDES RANSOM OR HOW MANY
PEOPLE MAY BE VICTIMS.
WE DO KNOW 27,000 CITY EMPLOYEES
AND RETIREES ARE AFFECTED BY THE
BREACH. IT WAS FIRST DETECTED IN MAY.
OUR KEN KALTHOFF HAS THE STORY.
>> Reporter: DALLAS POLICE
OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS ARE
AMONG THE 27,000 CITY EMPLOYEES,
RETIREES, AND DEPENDENTS
RECEIVING LETTERS THEIR SOCIAL
SECURITY AND MEDICAL INFORMATION
WAS ACCESSED IN THE RANSOMWARE ATTACK.
>> THAT’S A LETTER TO MY SON.
>> JIM’S SON IS JUST 10 YEARS
OLD.
THE FIREFIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION
WORRIES HIS CHILD’S INFORMATION
STOLEN ONLINE COULD BE MISUSED
FOR YEARS TO COME.
>> I DO SEE HIS CONCERN AND
AGREE WITH IT. >> Reporter: SMU EXPERT MITCH
THORNTON SAYS CYBER CRIMINALS
MAY DEMAND RANSOM FROM VICTIMS
LIKE THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT
ALSO PROFIT FROM FINANCIAL FRAUD.
>> POST THE INFORMATION OR THE
AVAILABILITY OF IT ON THE DARK
WEB AND SELL IT TO OTHER CRIMINALS.
>> Reporter: BACK IN MAY, THE
CITY STRUGGLED TO GET CRUCIAL
OPERATIONS, LIKE EMERGENCY
DISPATCH, WORKING.
CITY COURTS AND OTHER FUNCTIONS
WERE CRIPPLED.
DETAILS WERE LEFT UNCLEAR ABOUT
THE $8.5 MILLION APPROVED TODAY
BY THE CITY COUNCIL FOR
SOFTWARE, HARDWARE, FORENSICS
EXPERTS, AND TWO YEARS OF CREDIT MONITORING FOR PEOPLE GETTING
THOSE LETTERS.
BUT THERE MAY BE MORE.
>> FOR GENERAL RESIDENTS IN THE
CITY, WHAT MESSAGE SHOULD WE BE
SHARING WITH THEM?
>> I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THIS IS
STILL AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION. WE’RE STILL EVALUATING THE
MAGNITUDE OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL
WHO IS MIGHT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED.
>> Reporter: THE COUNSEL WENT TO
A CLOSED DOOR EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE REST.
>> I WAS ANGRY TWO MONTHS AGO OR THREE MONTHS AGO.
I’M FRUSTRATED AND JUST
DISGUSTED AT THIS POINT.
>> I REALLY DON’T KNOW IF THERE’S OTHER SURPRISES AWAITING
US OR NOT.
>> Reporter: THE EXPERT SAYS
SOME SECRECY IS JUSTIFIED, BUT
EMPLOYEES COULD HAVE BEEN TOLD
SOONER.
IN DALLAS, KEN KALTHOFF, NBC 5.
>>> AND THE FIREFIGHTERS LEADER