As one of the largest information technology service providers to local governments, the cyber-attack on Tyler Technologies (Tyler) in Plano, Texas is a sobering reminder of how a cyber-attack on a third-party vendor can put government data at risk. According to reports, Tyler may have been the victim of a ransomware attack that disrupted its … Continue Reading
The Office of Court Administration in Texas (OCA) confirmed late last week that it is the victim of a ransomware attack. The OCA stated that it would not pay the ransom. “OCA was able to catch the ransomware and limit its impact, and will not pay any ransom…Work continues to bring all judicial resources and … Continue Reading
Elite Dental Associates (Elite), located in Dallas, Texas has agreed to settle alleged HIPAA violations with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for $10,000. The OCR alleged that it received a complaint from a patient in June of 2016 that Elite had disclosed the patient’s last name and details of the patient’s health condition on … Continue Reading
It’s begun – as of Fall 2019, you might see an unmanned vehicle resembling a giant pill bug on wheels driving down your street. Domino’s recently announced that it will partner with Silicon Valley start-up robotics company, Nuro, to deliver pizzas to customers. However, this new delivery approach will be limited to online orders placed … Continue Reading
Two law firms were among the latest victims of the GozNym malware attack that caused a combined loss of more than $117,000. Law enforcement authorities recently announced the dismantling of a cybercrime network that used this GozNym malware to attempt to steal an estimated $100 million from victims in the United States and around the … Continue Reading
The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) this week approved an information security model rule package aimed at improving the cybersecurity posture of the 17,543 state-registered advisers. The proposed model would require state-registered investment advisers to establish written cybersecurity policies and procedures designed to safeguard clients’ records and information, and to deliver its privacy policy … Continue Reading
Avitas Systems, a General Electric (GE) venture, received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to fly a large unmanned aerial system (UAS or drone) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator in Loving County, Texas. The FAA’s authorization allows Avitas Systems to fly UAS over 55 pounds at low altitudes without a visual observer … Continue Reading
Drones are becoming an everyday tool for more and more police and fire departments across the country. According to a study conducted by the Center for the Study of the Drone at New York’s Bard College, the number of public safety agencies with drones has more than doubled since the end of 2016. In fact, … Continue Reading
More and more utility companies are finding drones (or more formally, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)) useful, and cost effective, to inspect power lines in lieu of sending up their employees to carry out the dangerous task. This month, New Braunfels Utilities (NBU), a community-owned non-profit utility company in New Braunfels, Texas, will begin sending drones … Continue Reading
ABCD Pediatrics, located in San Antonio, Texas has notified the Office for Civil Rights that a ransomware cyber intrusion has resulted in access to its servers, including the protected health information (PHI) of its patients. The ransomware used by the attackers was Dharma. The practice found through forensic analysis that access had been gained to … Continue Reading
Denton Heart Group, located throughout Dallas, has notified 21,665 patients that their protected health information has been compromised as a result of the theft of a hard drive from a locked closet. The hard drive that was in the closet contained the group’s backup data from the practice’s electronic health system—which included apparently of all … Continue Reading
In a rare move by the OCR, it assessed a $3.2 million fine against Children’s Medical Center of Dallas (Children’s) after it issued a Notice of Proposed Determination against Children’s and Children’s failed to request a hearing. The Notice was issued following the OCR’s investigation of two self-reported data breaches. The first involved the theft … Continue Reading
