|
The City of Dallas’ preparation for security threats and early response to network outages caused by a cyberattack May 3 have maintained essential City services for residents throughout the week.
Since Wednesday morning, when a group called Royal initiated an illegal attack targeting the City, Dallas’ Information and Technology Services (ITS) department and ITS’ expert cybersecurity vendors have effectively worked nonstop to swiftly isolate a virus and gradually restore service, prioritizing public safety and resident-facing departments. Much progress has been made, but the recovery process is ongoing.
Thanks to heroic teamwork by our first responders, key public safety functions continue as usual despite technical difficulties. 911 and 311 calls are being answered and Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue are being timely dispatched by radio.
For residents with non-emergency needs, 311 is still taking service requests by phone but the OurDallas app and online portal are temporarily unavailable. Another option is service in person at City facilities during regular business hours.
Sanitation collection remains on schedule and disposal sites are operational during regular business hours. If service is missed, please call 311.
Dallas Water Utilities service is unaffected, and disconnections are discontinued until the outage is resolved. Statements may be paid by mail; however, for those who prefer to pay in-person or online, late fees will not be charged for payments that cannot be processed until service is restored. DWU autopay will draft when service is restored. If you have questions or need assistance, please call (214) 651-1441 or walk into the water lobby at City Hall Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Office of Community Care clinics for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) are open and providing benefits. Vital Statistics is issuing records, but to ensure any records sought are available before you arrive, please call 214-670-3092.
Dallas Public Library branches are open, operational, and can check out media to residents with a library card; however, residents with media due to be returned are asked to hang on to it a little longer. There will be no late fees charged for materials due during the service outage. Digital media is also available via Hoopla and Overdrive. Internet-connected computers may be limited, so users in need of online device access should call ahead to their respective branch.
Dallas Animal Services continues handling adoptions, fosters, rescues, and returns to owners in-person on a case-by-case basis at 1818 N. Westmoreland Road, 75212.
Code Compliance is issuing garage sale permits only in-person at their headquarters at 3112 Canton Street, 75226.
While pages on the City’s website are being restored, Special Events permit requests may be submitted through the following direct links:
Development Services can review paper plans for walk-ins at 320 E. Jefferson Blvd., 75203 during regular business hours. However, while Permitting, Public Works, and Zoning application and payment systems are offline, submissions cannot be received or approved. This is a dynamic situation, and patience is appreciated while we focus on expediting full-service restoration.
Municipal Court remains closed Monday, May 8. There will be no court hearings and no trials. Cases scheduled during this outage will be reset, and updates will be mailed. Citation payments and documents due while Municipal Court is closed will be accepted after service is restored. Please note, no one from the City of Dallas will reach out to members of the public to ask for payment in person or by phone. Never give out your password or payment information by phone or through an email link. To protect against cyber threats please install the Dallas Secure app on your iOS or Android device. If you are contacted by someone seeking payment who claims to be from a City of Dallas department, please take note of the number they are calling from and the number they reached you on, then hang up and call the City of Dallas department they claim to be from to report this potential impersonation.
For years the City has monitored to ensure that residents’ and vendors’ information is not leaked. If it were, we would advise the public immediately. At this point, we do not believe that’s the case. Please pardon the inconvenience, thank you again, and stay safe!
|
