USAO hosts roundtable on cyberintrusion safety measures

DOJ Press

HOUSTON – Local critical infrastructure partners and area business owners have participated in a training session to increase cybersecurity posture and awareness on how to tackle such cyberattacks, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.   

The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), hosted the roundtable training today in order to educate private industry partners on what to do in the event of a cyberattack upon their businesses. 

“We are excited to partner with HSI and other federal agencies to help protect Houston’s often vulnerable critical infrastructure assets,” said Lowery. “From our international airports, unique power grid and robust oil and gas sector, Houston is home to some of the country’s most valuable assets.”

“As criminal organizations and other bad actors become more sophisticated in their ability to launch cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure and private business, it is crucial for HSI to work closely with our federal partners and the private sector to develop resilient and adaptive defenses against malicious cyberspace activity and network intrusions,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson. “Hosting today’s roundtable with the USAO was an important step, and we will continue to seek opportunities to enhance collaboration with our law enforcement partners and other stakeholders to prevent potential network intrusions and ensure greater unity of effort in response to cyber incidents.”


On a weekly basis, numerous cyberattacks occur on businesses all across the Southern District of Texas. There must be a quick response team in place to immediately address the intrusion in order to circumvent major damage and losses. The USAO routinely works with other prosecutors and law enforcement in the district to stay ahead of potential cyber threats. 


As the global economy enters day 35 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, businesses must be reminded to be diligent about their networks and to know their response plans, have a paper copy available and review their cyber-related insurance policies.

The USAO has established contact lines for assistance 24 hours a day. If you have fallen victim to an intrusion, inadvertently diverted funds to an unknown third-party or suffered a ransomware attack, please email (usatxs-cybersecurity@usa.doj.gov) directly or call the hotline at 713-542-5213.  

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