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Cyber Threat
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Ransomware victim Government & Defense

City of Houston

Listed by Exfilsquad on · organisation based in United States

houstontx.gov

Disclosed
Jul 26, 2026
Leak-site listing date
Threat group
Exfilsquad
15 victims listed
Country
United States
#1 most targeted
Sector
Government & Defense

ThreatAI analysis

Compiled from this incident record and the threat intelligence profile for Exfilsquad. Figures and technique mappings are quoted from the source data, not inferred.

About the Exfilsquad group

Only exfiltration Exfilsquad has listed 15 victims since July 2026.

Incident analysis

City of Houston was listed by Exfilsquad ransomware, a group with 15 victims recorded in this database. The listing appeared on the group's leak site on July 26, 2026.

City of Houston is based in United States and operates in the Government & Defense sector. United States ranks #1 worldwide for ransomware disclosures, with 10,306 victims in this database.

Sector context. Organisations in this sector hold valuable data and operational systems that ransomware groups seek to exploit for financial gain through encryption and data exfiltration.

Exfilsquad typically follows a double extortion model: data is exfiltrated from the victim's systems before files are encrypted, so the victim faces two demands at once — pay to restore access, and pay to keep stolen data unpublished. The leak site, where this listing appeared, is the lever for the second demand.

Source. Public leak-site disclosures aggregated via the ransomware.live API. The disclosure date is when the listing was published, which can differ from the date of compromise. This site does not publish or link to stolen data. Last updated .

Frequently asked questions

Was City of Houston attacked by ransomware?

Yes. City of Houston was listed as a victim of the Exfilsquad ransomware group on July 26, 2026. The organisation is based in United States and operates in the Government & Defense sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked City of Houston?

City of Houston was attacked by Exfilsquad ransomware. Exfilsquad is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 15 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the City of Houston ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on City of Houston was disclosed on July 26, 2026. This date reflects when the victim was published on the threat group's leak site, which may differ from the actual date of initial compromise.

What data was stolen in the City of Houston ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from City of Houston has not been independently verified by this platform. Ransomware groups typically exfiltrate data before encrypting systems and use the threat of publication to pressure victims. As a Government & Defense organisation, City of Houston likely held sensitive business data, client information, and operational records.

How can organisations protect against Exfilsquad attacks?

To defend against Exfilsquad and similar threat actors, organisations should: maintain regular offline backups tested for restoration; implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement; deploy multi-factor authentication on all remote access; use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools; conduct regular phishing and security awareness training; and monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with active groups.