Late Tuesday evening, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) warned residents in his state to be "vigilant" as Iran continually launches cyberattacks against Americans, KTRK-TV reported.
Abbott made the announcement when he addressed the Domestic Terrorism Task Force which he established after the tragic shooting in El Paso.
According to the Texas Department of Information Resources, over the last few days, Iran has continually targeted various state agencies.
"The Texas Department of Information Resources constantly detects and blocks malicious traffic on the networks of the multiple state agencies it services. In the past 48 hours, DIR observed an increase in network activity from outside the United States, including Iran," DIR's executive director Amanda Crawford said in a statement. "As global threats to cybersecurity increase, we urge Texans to be vigilant and use heightened awareness as they conduct Internet activity."
Abbott warned residents to be vigilant, especially as tensions with Iran continue to rise and to be safe while surfing the web.
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"These attacks from Iran-based entities, as well as other entities across the globe, are going to continue," the governor said. "I think it's very important that everyone be particularly vigilant right now about what may happen out of Iran."
Back in August, a ransomware attack hit at least 20 local government entities in Texas. Because of that, Abbott told residents to practice "good cyber hygiene."
The warning comes after Iran launched rockets at American forces stations at the al-Asad airbase in Iraq. The attack was retaliation for President Donald Trump ordering an airstrike to kill Qud Force General Qasem Soleimani.
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