Hackers Launch Attack on Texas City Website in Response to Transgender Procedure Ban
By The Reportify Staff Writer
A group of hackers, identifying themselves as SiegedSec, has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Texas city government website. They cited the state’s recently-enacted law banning transgender procedures for children as their motive for the attack. The hackers leaked approximately 500 thousand files from the Texas Fort Worth government website, including work orders, employee lists, invoices, police reports, emails, internal documents, and camera footage.
According to SiegedSec, the aim of the attack was to send a message to the U.S. government, particularly targeting Texas for its ban on gender-affirming care. In a statement on Telegram, the group expressed its dissatisfaction and stated, Texas happens to be one of the largest states banning gender-affirming care, and for that, we have made Texas our target.
The hackers also mentioned that their attack on Fort Worth was just the start of a larger campaign against all states that prohibit transgender procedures. They claimed to have a few more attacks planned in the near future.
SiegedSec, described as a hacktivist group formed in February 2022, appears to be motivated by the thrill of the experience and the desire to publicly expose organizations with inadequate information security controls, as indicated by DarkOwl, a dark-web monitoring firm.
Fort Worth city authorities confirmed the security breach and acknowledged that the leaked information belonged to their internal information system, specifically an application called Vueworks used by their transportation and property management departments. Fortunately, there is no evidence to suggest that any sensitive data such as social security numbers, credit card information, or banking details were accessed or released.
The city’s IT department has taken immediate action to block external access to the asset management system and has contacted VueWorks for vendor support. All VueWorks users have been advised to change their passwords.
While the city government did not mention the name of the hacker group responsible for the breach or their stated motive, Kevin Gunn, the city’s chief technology officer, acknowledged during a news conference that the hackers’ Telegram post aimed to embarrass the city and make a political statement.
This incident highlights the recent legislation signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, which restricts gender transitioning procedures and treatments for individuals under the age of 18. The law, Senate Bill 14, prohibits doctors from performing surgeries that render minors unable to have children in the future, as well as the removal of healthy body parts, taking drugs that affect fertility, or removing healthy breasts.
Exceptions to the law include cases where puberty blockers are prescribed to children starting puberty prematurely, as permitted by parents or guardians, as well as medically necessary procedures for minors with genetic issues related to sex development or chromosomes.
The legislation also specifies that children who had undergone non-surgical treatments before June 1, and those who had at least 12 sessions of mental health counseling or psychotherapy six months prior to starting prescription drug treatments, may continue in the short term, with doctors gradually reducing their medication.
Furthermore, the law prevents public funds or public assistance from being used to support doctors, hospitals, and medical schools that facilitate transgender procedures for minors. These procedures are also not eligible for Medicaid reimbursements or child health plan programs.
With at least 18 states now implementing similar laws against transgender procedures for minors, this attack on the Texas city government website highlights the growing controversy and polarization surrounding the issue. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how authorities and activist groups will respond to these cyberattacks and the larger societal implications they entail.
