Juan Oliveros 
Mission, Texas Declared State of Emergency Following a Cyberattack. Photo by David Davies via Flickr | License: CC0
The city of Mission, Texas, has declared a state of emergency following a cyberattack that compromised its computer network—which placed confidential health data and other records at risk. Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza has requested assistance from Governor Greg Abbott to address the crisis.
The cyberattack, detected on February 28, led city officials to take portions of the network offline to protect data. Essential emergency services, including police and fire departments, remain operational, though some functionalities have been affected. For instance, the Mission Police Department cannot run license plates and driver’s licenses through state databases, and police laptops are currently inoperable.
In a letter dated March 4, Mayor Garza informed Governor Abbott of the severity of the situation, stating that the city’s entire computer server is at risk. The breach could potentially expose protected personal and health information, as well as civil and criminal records. She emphasized that extraordinary measures are necessary to address the crisis.
City Manager Mike Perez noted that the city is collaborating with the Texas Department of Emergency Management to resolve the issue. He also mentioned that seeking a state emergency declaration could permit the temporary suspension of certain laws, such as the Texas Public Information Act, providing more flexibility in responding to various requests, including open records requests.
Mission, a city of approximately 88,000 residents located on the Rio Grande, is among several Texas municipalities that have recently faced cyberattacks. In the past six months, cities like McKinney, Coppell, and Richardson have experienced similar incidents, disrupting government services for hundreds of thousands of people.
The situation in Mission underscores the growing threat cyberattacks pose to municipal governments, highlighting the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure and sensitive information.
News Desk 
