A Wake-Up Call for Texas Municipalities
Cybersecurity remains a critical issue across the United States. The year 2025 has already reminded Texas communities of just how vulnerable we are. Matagorda County and the City of Mission both reported major service outages this year following cyberattacks targeting their online systems. Local residents faced delays in accessing public records and paying utilities. They also experienced difficulties in communicating with municipal offices. These disruptions underscore a growing national trend of data breaches and ransomware events.
These incidents may seem distant to private business owners. However, they hit close to home for many small and mid-sized business (SMB) leaders. These leaders also serve on local boards, councils, and chambers of commerce. The truth is simple: the same weaknesses exploited in government networks exist in local businesses every day.
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Why These Breaches Happen
Cyberattacks on Texas municipalities—and on small businesses—often share a common cause: unpatched systems, poor password management, and outdated backup strategies.
Hackers know that smaller organizations often lack the layered defenses that larger corporations use. Once inside, they move quickly—encrypting files, stealing credentials, and demanding ransom to unlock critical data.
In many of these recent attacks, investigators found that:
- Multifactor authentication (MFA) was not enforced across all accounts.
- Remote access was left open or weakly secured.
- Backups were either incomplete or stored on the same network as live data.
- Staff were not trained to recognize phishing emails.
These are not advanced, Hollywood-style cyber tactics. They’re everyday oversights. MSPs like SofTouch Systems can help remove them before they become headlines.
October Is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Each October, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month reminds us that strong digital hygiene starts with awareness and proactive planning. But for Texas SMBs, that awareness needs to go beyond “strong passwords.” It’s about building resilience.
Here are three actions STS recommends every local business and municipal office take this month:
- Audit your access points. Identify every device and user that connects to your network. Remove unnecessary access and enforce MFA on all accounts.
- Backup and test regularly. A backup isn’t a backup until it’s been successfully restored. Test your data recovery quarterly.
- Train your people. Phishing simulations and cybersecurity refreshers reduce your single biggest risk—human error.
These habits aren’t just good practice; they’re essential defense layers in an era when attacks are automated and indiscriminate.
How MSPs Help Prevent the Next Outage
A Managed Service Provider (MSP) like SofTouch Systems delivers proactive IT management. Municipalities and private-sector businesses alike now realize they need this. CISA: Stop Ransomware
Here’s how:
- 24/7 Monitoring: STS identifies suspicious network behavior before it becomes a full breach.
- Patch Management: Automatic updates close vulnerabilities that hackers exploit.
- Password-First Security: As an authorized 1Password partner, STS enforces secure password vaults and passkey-based logins across teams.
- Layered Protection: From Bitdefender-powered antivirus to managed VPNs and encrypted backups, each layer strengthens your digital perimeter.
- No-Surprise IT: Transparent pricing, measurable SLAs, and our Bill-Clarity Guarantee mean you’ll never face hidden fees—or unplanned downtime.
Our South Texas team operates under a “Continuity Pledge.” You’ll know your dedicated technicians by name. They’ll know your systems inside and out. That consistency brings faster response times. It leads to fewer service gaps. You gain peace of mind knowing that your business is never left unprotected.
A Community Responsibility
You might manage a small clinic. Perhaps you run a construction firm or serve on a city technology committee. Regardless, cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. It is now a civic duty. The same best practices that protect your business data also safeguard the systems that keep our local governments running.
When Texas municipalities suffer an outage, we all feel the effects. But with the right managed IT services, the next story doesn’t have to be about recovery—it can be about resilience.
Protect your business—and your community—from the next breach.
Book a free cybersecurity readiness assessment with SofTouch Systems today.
Contact STS | Stop attacks before they start.
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