The city of Abilene, Texas, is working to bring its digital systems back online after a cyberattack forced officials to shut down parts of its internal network. The attack, which began on April 18, triggered the city’s emergency response plan and led to a swift shutdown of affected systems to prevent further damage.
Abilene’s IT team moved quickly to isolate critical infrastructure and disconnect impacted services. Over the weekend, city staff collaborated with top-tier cybersecurity firms to assess the extent of the breach. Officials also alerted the appropriate government bodies and began a formal investigation to understand how deep the compromise goes.
According to statements from city leaders, the main priority is restoring essential services while keeping public safety intact. Emergency response systems remain operational and are fully capable of responding to calls. Water utility customers can still pay their bills online or in person, and no unusual financial activity has been reported so far.
Residents have been asked for patience as Abilene continues to recover. The city acknowledged that online systems may run slower during this time, but it assured residents that no accounts will be disconnected due to delays or overdue payments during the incident response.
City representatives emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages, describing it as a time-consuming but necessary process. Weekly updates will be shared as more details emerge.
While officials have not confirmed the nature of the attack, the disruption resembles a ransomware incident. So far, no group has publicly claimed responsibility.
Abilene, a West Texas city of around 130,000 residents, is best known for its public art installations featuring children’s storybook characters and as the home of three Christian universities.
