Texas ransomware attacks show big gaps in cyber defenses — expect more like them

The ransomware attacks against more than 20 Texas towns this week are significant. Though little is known about the origins of the attacks, the spread of ransomware across small-town America has exposed a deep problem in how the country approaches cybersecurity.

That’s because local governments commonly share single service providers, making many vulnerable at once. On top of this, ransomware has often been used to mask more targeted, malicious activity by nation-states, and there are clear indications this will happen again in the future.

Ransomware, which is malicious software that spreads across networks and shuts down computers until a ransom is paid, can have a significant impact on the technology that runs local services, including water, power, wastewater treatment and emergency services.