22 Texas towns hit through one provider
A coordinated ransomware attack hit 22 local governments in Texas. Reports point to a shared IT provider.
On Friday, ransomware hit 22 local governments in Texas at the same time. State officials called it a coordinated attack, and reports say the towns shared an IT service provider whose remote tools were used.
Small towns outsource IT because they can’t hire full teams. That’s sensible. But the provider’s access becomes a single key to all of them.
If you use a managed service provider:
- Ask how their remote tools are protected, and whether MFA is required for every technician.
- Ask if they can push software to all clients at once, and how that’s controlled.
- Keep one backup your provider can’t delete.
- Agree how they’ll tell you about an incident on their side, and how fast.
Providers are targets because one breach reaches many customers.