DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) – More than two weeks after a crippling cyber attack on the City of Dallas, those responsible are now threatening to release personal information on thousands of employees.
Those employees include police officers who worry that, if it happens, it could make them targets for retaliation.
It’s the first message from those behind the City of Dallas cyber attack since the initial ransom note received on May 3.
Royal posted a warning to the city that says stolen data will be released soon.
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It describes that data as “…tons of personal information of employees (phones, addresses, credit cards, SSNs, passports), detailed court cases, prisoners, medical information, clients’ information and thousands and thousands of governmental documents.”
City leaders have insisted that no known personal data has been stolen.
Dallas city leaders say it’ll take weeks to get full functionality following ransomware attack
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But if it has and ever gets released, that’s a major concern to veteran Dallas police officers like Terrance Hopkins.
“We put people in the penitentiary you could see where some of that or somebody comes back with a vendetta or wants revenge or something like that from just simply doing your job,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins, who leads the Black Police Association, says the threat of retaliation by a leak of personal information is real.
“If you get the individual who is somewhat disturbed or in a particular mental state, that individual could come and try to harm you or your family,” he said.
Hopkins says much of his police work is still hampered by the malware that the city’s IT employees are slowly removing.
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“A lot of that information is information regarding investigations, detectives notes, histories of individuals, files that help me do my job as a planner,” Hopkins said.
Cyber security experts say the city’s decision not to meet ransom demands could change depending on the amount of damage and if sensitive personal material has been stolen.
“So it looks like, yes the city has not paid yet, but that doesn’t mean that they are not going to pay,” said Dr. Bhavani Thuraisingham, a University of Texas at Dallas cyber security strategist. “If not, then there is a worry there is a worry, because if my sensitive data is out there in the hands of the hackers and they were to release it then I would be very worried.”
Again, the city says there’s no evidence so far that any information involving residents or employees has been stolen.
And as of Friday night, no city information has appeared on the Royal website.
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J.D. Miles
J.D. Miles is an award-winning reporter who has been covering North Texas for CBS 11 since 1996.
On Tuesday evening, the Dallas Mavericks beat the New Orleans Pelicans (at home) by a score of 132-91.
Luka Doncic returned to the starting lineup after missing Sunday’s 121-119 victory over the OKC Thunder due to an injury.
Before Tuesday’s game, head coach Jason Kidd was asked about Doncic’s slower start than usual to the season when met with the media (h/t Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban).
Kidd: “He has shown that he’s human, I think some of us have forgot that he’s human. So the way that he’s playing, he’s 28 and 8 and 8, you sign up for that all day long. He’s missed some shots, it happens… He’s one of the best players in the world and we’re lucky to have him.”
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Mavs coach Jason Kidd on if he thinks the injuries have affected Luka Doncic’s play this season:
“He has shown that he’s human, I think some of us have forgot that he’s human. So the way that he’s playing, he’s 28, 8, and 8, we sign up for that all day long. He’s missed some… pic.twitter.com/mIqCgixUOG
Doncic finished Tuesday’s victory over New Orleans with 26 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block while shooting 10/16 from the field and 3/8 from the three-point range.
He is averaging 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals per contest while shooting 43.5% from the field and 32.4% from the three-point range in 14 games.
Kidd has been the coach of the Mavs since the 2021-22 season.
They have reached the Western Conference finals (2022) and NBA Finals (2024).
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Nov 17, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd talks to his team before the start of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Following the Pelicans, the Mavs will play their next game on Friday against the Nuggets in Denver.
Doncic is in his seventh NBA season (all with the Mavs).
He has made five NBA All-Star Games in his first six years.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas star guard Luka Doncic returned to the lineup on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup game against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing the Mavericks’ previous game because of a right knee contusion.
The Mavericks go in on a two-game winning streak following a four-game losing streak. Their most recent win came at Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City on Sunday night, 121-119, the first game that Doncic has missed this season.
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In his previous outing last Saturday, Doncic played a season-low 28 minutes in a 110-93 home win over San Antonio and scored 16 points — one more than his season low. He sat out the final eight minutes with the Mavericks comfortably ahead.
Doncic won last season’s NBA scoring title, averaging 33.9 points per game, to go with 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists. He’s averaging 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists this season.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, when asked before Tuesday’s game about Doncic’s lower averages, said, “He has shown that he’s human. (Averages of) 28, eight and eight – you sign up for that all day long.”
Every other year, the Aurora Biennial transforms Dallas into a dazzling display of lights, video and music. This year was special because it was the first time the event took play in-person since 2018. The free public event turned the Dallas Public Library, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas City Hall and other buildings into art installations with the theme “FuturePresentPast.”
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.
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