Company Details
city-of-houston
10,445
99,475
92
houstontx.gov
0
CIT_3157075
In-progress


City of Houston Company CyberSecurity Posture
houstontx.govHome to a respected and energetic cultural arts scene, celebrated restaurants featuring flavors from 35 countries, world-renowned theater groups and the brains behind U.S. space exploration, Houston is a diverse metropolis brimming with personality. With nearly 21,000 concerts, plays, exhibitions and other arts programs presented in Houston annually, residents and visitors have access to a wide variety of cultural programs. On any given night, it's a safe bet that there's a show somewhere in Houston's Theater District. More than 2 million people visit the Downtown area each year to attend one of the city's world-class performances. Within the Museum District you will find eighteen world-class institutions, including the Menil Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Houston Museum of Natural Science are clustered in this area, drawing a reported seven million visitors to the district each year. Houston’s restaurant scene is as ethnically diverse as its 4 million residents. ForbesTraveler.com ranked Houston as one of the best restaurant cities in America. The city is jam-packed with more than 8,000 tempting eateries that feature culinary flavors from more than 35 countries. With 56,405 acres of total park space, Houston rates first among the nation's 10 most populous cities in total acreage of park land. The 165 public and private golf courses around the city and teams in nearly every major professional sport keep sports fever high year-round. The city also employs over 22,000 full-time staff to keep the city running. We are always looking for everyone from Engineers to IT Professionals, from entry level to executive level. Check back here for current postings, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cohcareers or on Twitter @COHCareers for all the up to date recruitment happenings!
Company Details
city-of-houston
10,445
99,475
92
houstontx.gov
0
CIT_3157075
In-progress
Between 650 and 699

CH Global Score (TPRM)XXXX

Description: The City of Houston inadvertently exposed a data breach affecting 7,525 current and former Houston Fire Department (HFD) employees after sharing a link intended for promotion exam information. The link, distributed by the city’s Human Resources Director, granted unauthorized access to non-password-protected folders containing Social Security numbers (SSNs). While the city initially blamed HFD members for accessing and downloading the data, the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association (HPFFA) denied responsibility, asserting the breach stemmed from the city’s failure to secure the link. The exposure was accidental, with no evidence of malicious intent, but it resulted in the compromise of sensitive employee PII (Personally Identifiable Information). The incident highlights systemic lapses in data protection protocols within municipal operations, raising concerns over accountability and internal safeguards for handling confidential records.
Description: Information about City of Houston employees’ health insurance was compromised after an employee’s laptop computer was stolen. The password-protected computer may have contained records, including names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and other medical information. Professionals are trained not to remove laptops from City offices unless sensitive data is encrypted but apparently one employee “failed to follow his training.”


No incidents recorded for City of Houston in 2026.
No incidents recorded for City of Houston in 2026.
No incidents recorded for City of Houston in 2026.
CH cyber incidents detection timeline including parent company and subsidiaries

Home to a respected and energetic cultural arts scene, celebrated restaurants featuring flavors from 35 countries, world-renowned theater groups and the brains behind U.S. space exploration, Houston is a diverse metropolis brimming with personality. With nearly 21,000 concerts, plays, exhibitions and other arts programs presented in Houston annually, residents and visitors have access to a wide variety of cultural programs. On any given night, it's a safe bet that there's a show somewhere in Houston's Theater District. More than 2 million people visit the Downtown area each year to attend one of the city's world-class performances. Within the Museum District you will find eighteen world-class institutions, including the Menil Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Houston Museum of Natural Science are clustered in this area, drawing a reported seven million visitors to the district each year. Houston’s restaurant scene is as ethnically diverse as its 4 million residents. ForbesTraveler.com ranked Houston as one of the best restaurant cities in America. The city is jam-packed with more than 8,000 tempting eateries that feature culinary flavors from more than 35 countries. With 56,405 acres of total park space, Houston rates first among the nation's 10 most populous cities in total acreage of park land. The 165 public and private golf courses around the city and teams in nearly every major professional sport keep sports fever high year-round. The city also employs over 22,000 full-time staff to keep the city running. We are always looking for everyone from Engineers to IT Professionals, from entry level to executive level. Check back here for current postings, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cohcareers or on Twitter @COHCareers for all the up to date recruitment happenings!


General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. Our organization includes the Public Buildings Service (PBS), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), and a variety of S

Welcome to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Official LinkedIn page. We're recruiting the finest employees to care for our #Veterans. Following/engagement ≠ signify VA endorsement. This is a moderated page, meaning that all comments will be reviewed for appropriate content. Ple

#MeTeemmeHelsingin Helsingin kaupunki on Suomen suurin työnantaja, jonka palveluksessa on lähes 39 000 ammattilaista ja asiantuntijaa. Helsingin kaupunki tarjoaa henkilöstölle monipuolisia, mielenkiintoisia ja yhteiskunnallisesti merkittäviä työtehtäviä, hyvät mahdollisuudet kehittymiseen, ammatti

Victorian local government jobs offer opportunities for people with diverse skills. The sector delivers more than 100 services and employs staff in the areas of health and community care, corporate and business support, engineering, planning and community development, and environment and emergency m

Bli en samhällsbyggare – jobba i Malmö stad! Genom att arbeta i Malmö stad får du möjlighet att arbeta med hållbar samhällsutveckling. Som en samhällsbyggare spelar du en viktig roll i Malmös utveckling och därför ser vi oss som framtidens arbetsplats. Människors lika värde är en förutsättning fö

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is a component agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), committed to securing the nation’s transportation systems to ensure safe and efficient travel for all. Our mission is to protect the American people by preventing threats and dis

The NSW public sector includes ten departments and many agencies and organisations working together to develop policy and deliver important services such as health, education, housing, transport and infrastructure across NSW. We are over 300,000 dedicated people who share the same values - making a

MISIÓN/PROPÓSITO: La SEP tiene como propósito esencial crear condiciones que permitan asegurar el acceso de todas las mexicanas y mexicanos a una educación de calidad, en el nivel y modalidad que la requieran y en el lugar donde la demanden. VISIÓN: En el año 2025, México cuenta con un sistema

The City of Toronto is committed to fostering a positive and progressive workplace culture, and strives to build a workforce that reflects the citizens it serves. We are committed to building a high performing public service, with strong and effective leaders to enable service excellence, through hi
.png)
Explore 2026's top cybersecurity events to network, learn from experts and uncover strategies to mitigate risks in a complex threat...
Small businesses increasingly rely on cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital tools to streamline operations, cut costs and...
Kansas City-based Cyderes acquired California cybersecurity firm Lucidum to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities and security...
This AI survey shows how AI investments are turning into business productivity gains and significant financial performance.
GREENWIRE | HOUSTON — The Justice Department has withdrawn from an agreement with the city of Houston to curb illegal dumping in Black and...
To explore how companies can strengthen this resilience, the Houston Business Journal and Comcast Business convened a panel of cybersecurity...
A hacking group has taken responsibility for a data breach at The University of St. Thomas, according to ABC13's partners at the Houston...
Multiple online services in Texas' City of Sugar Land have been disrupted following a Thursday cyberattack, reports The Record,...
Officials in Sugar Land, Texas, said a cyberattack has impacted several online services after they reported technology outages on Thursday...

Explore insights on cybersecurity incidents, risk posture, and Rankiteo's assessments.
The official website of City of Houston is http://www.houstontx.gov/.
According to Rankiteo, City of Houston’s AI-generated cybersecurity score is 693, reflecting their Weak security posture.
According to Rankiteo, City of Houston currently holds 0 security badges, indicating that no recognized compliance certifications are currently verified for the organization.
According to Rankiteo, City of Houston has not been affected by any supply chain cyber incidents, and no incident IDs are currently listed for the organization.
According to Rankiteo, City of Houston is not certified under SOC 2 Type 1.
According to Rankiteo, City of Houston does not hold a SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
According to Rankiteo, City of Houston is not listed as GDPR compliant.
According to Rankiteo, City of Houston does not currently maintain PCI DSS compliance.
According to Rankiteo, City of Houston is not compliant with HIPAA regulations.
According to Rankiteo,City of Houston is not certified under ISO 27001, indicating the absence of a formally recognized information security management framework.
City of Houston operates primarily in the Government Administration industry.
City of Houston employs approximately 10,445 people worldwide.
City of Houston presently has no subsidiaries across any sectors.
City of Houston’s official LinkedIn profile has approximately 99,475 followers.
City of Houston is classified under the NAICS code 92, which corresponds to Public Administration.
No, City of Houston does not have a profile on Crunchbase.
Yes, City of Houston maintains an official LinkedIn profile, which is actively utilized for branding and talent engagement, which can be accessed here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/city-of-houston.
As of January 21, 2026, Rankiteo reports that City of Houston has experienced 2 cybersecurity incidents.
City of Houston has an estimated 11,869 peer or competitor companies worldwide.
Incident Types: The types of cybersecurity incidents that have occurred include Data Leak and Breach.
Detection and Response: The company detects and responds to cybersecurity incidents through an incident response plan activated with yes (fire chief blocked unauthorized access after being notified), and containment measures with blocking access to the unsecured link, and communication strategy with internal letter from hr director (jane e. cheeks) to hfd members; public statements by hpffa president patrick lancton..
Title: Data Breach Due to Stolen Laptop
Description: Information about City of Houston employees’ health insurance was compromised after an employee’s laptop computer was stolen.
Type: Data Breach
Attack Vector: Physical Theft
Vulnerability Exploited: Unencrypted Data
Title: City of Houston Firefighters' Data Breach via Unsecured Link
Description: The City of Houston inadvertently shared a link intended for firefighters’ promotion exam information, which led at least one Houston Fire Department (HFD) employee to access unprotected folders containing Social Security numbers (SSNs) of 7,525 current and former HFD members. The city initially blamed HFD members for accessing the data, but the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association (HPFFA) denied responsibility, stating the breach was due to the city’s failure to secure the link. The access was described as inadvertent by city officials.
Type: Data Breach (Unintentional Exposure)
Attack Vector: Misconfigured/Unsecured Link (Human Error)
Vulnerability Exploited: Lack of Access Controls (No Password Protection)
Motivation: Accidental (No Malicious Intent)
Common Attack Types: The most common types of attacks the company has faced is Breach.

Data Compromised: Names, Addresses, Dates of birth, Social security numbers, Medical information

Data Compromised: Social security numbers (ssns)
Operational Impact: Potential Trust Erosion Between City and HFD Members; Reputational Harm
Brand Reputation Impact: Negative (Public Dispute Over Responsibility; Erosion of Trust in City's Data Handling)
Identity Theft Risk: High (SSNs of 7,525 Individuals Exposed)
Commonly Compromised Data Types: The types of data most commonly compromised in incidents are Personally Identifiable Information, Medical Information, , Social Security Numbers (Ssns) and .

Entity Name: City of Houston
Entity Type: Government
Industry: Public Sector
Location: Houston, Texas

Entity Name: City of Houston
Entity Type: Government (Municipal)
Industry: Public Administration
Location: Houston, Texas, USA

Entity Name: Houston Fire Department (HFD)
Entity Type: Government Agency (Fire/EMS)
Industry: Public Safety
Location: Houston, Texas, USA
Customers Affected: 7,525 (current and former HFD members)

Incident Response Plan Activated: Yes (Fire Chief Blocked Unauthorized Access After Being Notified)
Containment Measures: Blocking Access to the Unsecured Link
Communication Strategy: Internal Letter from HR Director (Jane E. Cheeks) to HFD Members; Public Statements by HPFFA President Patrick Lancton
Incident Response Plan: The company's incident response plan is described as Yes (Fire Chief Blocked Unauthorized Access After Being Notified).

Type of Data Compromised: Personally identifiable information, Medical information
Sensitivity of Data: High
Data Encryption: None
Personally Identifiable Information: NamesAddressesDates of BirthSocial Security numbers

Type of Data Compromised: Social security numbers (ssns)
Number of Records Exposed: 7,525
Sensitivity of Data: High (Personally Identifiable Information - PII)
Data Exfiltration: Yes (Downloaded by at Least One HFD Employee)
Data Encryption: No (Data Was Not Password-Protected)
Personally Identifiable Information: Yes (SSNs)
Handling of PII Incidents: The company handles incidents involving personally identifiable information (PII) through by blocking access to the unsecured link and .

Lessons Learned: Employees should strictly follow training guidelines, especially regarding the encryption of sensitive data when removing laptops from the office.

Lessons Learned: Importance of access controls for shared links, even when distributed internally; need for clear accountability in data handling processes; transparent communication during incident response to avoid blame-shifting.

Recommendations: Implement stricter policies for data encryption and ensure regular training for employees on data protection practices.

Recommendations: Implement mandatory password protection for all shared links containing sensitive data., Conduct regular audits of data-sharing practices to prevent unintentional exposures., Provide training for employees on secure data handling and reporting procedures., Establish a clear incident response protocol to avoid public disputes over responsibility.Implement mandatory password protection for all shared links containing sensitive data., Conduct regular audits of data-sharing practices to prevent unintentional exposures., Provide training for employees on secure data handling and reporting procedures., Establish a clear incident response protocol to avoid public disputes over responsibility.Implement mandatory password protection for all shared links containing sensitive data., Conduct regular audits of data-sharing practices to prevent unintentional exposures., Provide training for employees on secure data handling and reporting procedures., Establish a clear incident response protocol to avoid public disputes over responsibility.Implement mandatory password protection for all shared links containing sensitive data., Conduct regular audits of data-sharing practices to prevent unintentional exposures., Provide training for employees on secure data handling and reporting procedures., Establish a clear incident response protocol to avoid public disputes over responsibility.
Key Lessons Learned: The key lessons learned from past incidents are Employees should strictly follow training guidelines, especially regarding the encryption of sensitive data when removing laptops from the office.Importance of access controls for shared links, even when distributed internally; need for clear accountability in data handling processes; transparent communication during incident response to avoid blame-shifting.
Implemented Recommendations: The company has implemented the following recommendations to improve cybersecurity: Implement stricter policies for data encryption and ensure regular training for employees on data protection practices..

Source: KPRC 2 Investigates
Additional Resources: Stakeholders can find additional resources on cybersecurity best practices at and Source: KPRC 2 Investigates.

Investigation Status: Ongoing (Dispute Over Responsibility; No Formal Investigation Details Provided)
Communication of Investigation Status: The company communicates the status of incident investigations to stakeholders through Internal Letter From Hr Director (Jane E. Cheeks) To Hfd Members; Public Statements By Hpffa President Patrick Lancton.

Customer Advisories: Letter from HR Director Jane E. Cheeks to HFD Members
Advisories Provided: The company provides the following advisories to stakeholders and customers following an incident: were Letter From Hr Director Jane E. Cheeks To Hfd Members and .

Root Causes: Employee failed to follow training guidelines regarding data encryption.

Root Causes: Lack Of Access Controls (No Password Protection) For The Shared Link., Human Error In Distributing The Link Without Verifying Security Measures., Inadequate Oversight Of Data-Sharing Practices By The City Of Houston.,
Most Significant Data Compromised: The most significant data compromised in an incident were Names, Addresses, Dates of Birth, Social Security numbers, Medical Information, , Social Security Numbers (SSNs) and .
Containment Measures in Most Recent Incident: The containment measures taken in the most recent incident was Blocking Access to the Unsecured Link.
Most Sensitive Data Compromised: The most sensitive data compromised in a breach were Names, Addresses, Social Security numbers, Social Security Numbers (SSNs), Dates of Birth and Medical Information.
Number of Records Exposed in Most Significant Breach: The number of records exposed in the most significant breach was 7.5K.
Most Significant Lesson Learned: The most significant lesson learned from past incidents was Employees should strictly follow training guidelines, especially regarding the encryption of sensitive data when removing laptops from the office., Importance of access controls for shared links, even when distributed internally; need for clear accountability in data handling processes; transparent communication during incident response to avoid blame-shifting.
Most Significant Recommendation Implemented: The most significant recommendation implemented to improve cybersecurity was Establish a clear incident response protocol to avoid public disputes over responsibility., Implement stricter policies for data encryption and ensure regular training for employees on data protection practices., Provide training for employees on secure data handling and reporting procedures., Implement mandatory password protection for all shared links containing sensitive data. and Conduct regular audits of data-sharing practices to prevent unintentional exposures..
Most Recent Source: The most recent source of information about an incident is KPRC 2 Investigates.
Current Status of Most Recent Investigation: The current status of the most recent investigation is Ongoing (Dispute Over Responsibility; No Formal Investigation Details Provided).
Most Recent Customer Advisory: The most recent customer advisory issued was an Letter from HR Director Jane E. Cheeks to HFD Members.
Most Significant Root Cause: The most significant root cause identified in post-incident analysis was Employee failed to follow training guidelines regarding data encryption., Lack of access controls (no password protection) for the shared link.Human error in distributing the link without verifying security measures.Inadequate oversight of data-sharing practices by the City of Houston..
.png)
SummaryA command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) has been found to exist in the `wrangler pages deploy` command. The issue occurs because the `--commit-hash` parameter is passed directly to a shell command without proper validation or sanitization, allowing an attacker with control of `--commit-hash` to execute arbitrary commands on the system running Wrangler. Root causeThe commitHash variable, derived from user input via the --commit-hash CLI argument, is interpolated directly into a shell command using template literals (e.g., execSync(`git show -s --format=%B ${commitHash}`)). Shell metacharacters are interpreted by the shell, enabling command execution. ImpactThis vulnerability is generally hard to exploit, as it requires --commit-hash to be attacker controlled. The vulnerability primarily affects CI/CD environments where `wrangler pages deploy` is used in automated pipelines and the --commit-hash parameter is populated from external, potentially untrusted sources. An attacker could exploit this to: * Run any shell command. * Exfiltrate environment variables. * Compromise the CI runner to install backdoors or modify build artifacts. Credits Disclosed responsibly by kny4hacker. Mitigation * Wrangler v4 users are requested to upgrade to Wrangler v4.59.1 or higher. * Wrangler v3 users are requested to upgrade to Wrangler v3.114.17 or higher. * Users on Wrangler v2 (EOL) should upgrade to a supported major version.
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Supported versions that are affected are 7.1.14 and 7.2.4. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. While the vulnerability is in Oracle VM VirtualBox, attacks may significantly impact additional products (scope change). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle VM VirtualBox. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Supported versions that are affected are 7.1.14 and 7.2.4. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. While the vulnerability is in Oracle VM VirtualBox, attacks may significantly impact additional products (scope change). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all Oracle VM VirtualBox accessible data as well as unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle VM VirtualBox accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle VM VirtualBox. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 8.1 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L).
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Supported versions that are affected are 7.1.14 and 7.2.4. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. While the vulnerability is in Oracle VM VirtualBox, attacks may significantly impact additional products (scope change). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle VM VirtualBox. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Supported versions that are affected are 7.1.14 and 7.2.4. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. While the vulnerability is in Oracle VM VirtualBox, attacks may significantly impact additional products (scope change). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle VM VirtualBox. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Get company history
Every week, Rankiteo analyzes billions of signals to give organizations a sharper, faster view of emerging risks. With deeper, more actionable intelligence at their fingertips, security teams can outpace threat actors, respond instantly to Zero-Day attacks, and dramatically shrink their risk exposure window.
Identify exposed access points, detect misconfigured SSL certificates, and uncover vulnerabilities across the network infrastructure.
Gain visibility into the software components used within an organization to detect vulnerabilities, manage risk, and ensure supply chain security.
Monitor and manage all IT assets and their configurations to ensure accurate, real-time visibility across the company's technology environment.
Leverage real-time insights on active threats, malware campaigns, and emerging vulnerabilities to proactively defend against evolving cyberattacks.