Cyberattack Forces Abilene, Texas, to Take Systems Offline Amid Growing Statewide Threats
The city government of Abilene, Texas, disconnected multiple IT systems after detecting a cyberattack on April 18, 2025. Officials first noticed unresponsive servers in the city’s internal network around 4 a.m. and activated their incident response plan, immediately isolating critical assets. External cybersecurity experts were called in to investigate, and emergency services, including water utilities and first responders, remain fully operational. However, card payment systems in government offices are offline, response times for phone and email inquiries are delayed, and the city filed a Catastrophe Notice to suspend public information request obligations through April 28. No unauthorized financial activity has been detected, and authorities have not confirmed if ransomware is involved.
The Abilene breach reflects a broader surge in cyber incidents across Texas. Since late 2024, several Texas cities and counties have been targeted, including Mission, Odessa, Coppell, and Matagorda County, along with institutions like DHR Health and Fort Bend County Libraries. In response to this wave of attacks, Gov. Greg Abbott launched the Texas Cyber Command in February 2025, tasked with detecting, coordinating, and strengthening cyber defenses statewide. These developments come after a string of high-profile ransomware attacks in 2023 and 2024, including the City of Dallas and Dallas County, highlighting the growing vulnerability of local government networks.
Abilene officials have described the recovery as a "time-intensive process" and cautioned that service disruptions may persist in the coming weeks. The city’s IT team continues to monitor systems for unusual activity while working to restore services securely. Weekly updates are planned as investigators uncover more about the nature and extent of the breach. City departments such as CityLink transit and the Abilene Public Library remain among the hardest hit, while officials have pledged transparency once the initial investigation concludes.