Company Details
city-of-houston
10,512
102,360
92
houstontx.gov
0
CIT_3157075
In-progress


City of Houston Vendor Cyber Rating & Cyber Score
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
10,512
102,360
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!


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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 696, 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 10,512 people worldwide.
City of Houston presently has no subsidiaries across any sectors.
City of Houston’s official LinkedIn profile has approximately 102,360 followers.
City of Houston is classified under the NAICS code 92, which corresponds to Public Administration.
Yes, City of Houston has an official profile on Crunchbase, which can be accessed here: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/city-of-houston.
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 April 02, 2026, Rankiteo reports that City of Houston has experienced 2 cybersecurity incidents.
City of Houston has an estimated 12,424 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 Addresses, Names, Medical Information, Social Security numbers, Social Security Numbers (SSNs) and Dates of Birth.
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 Provide training for employees on secure data handling and reporting procedures., Implement stricter policies for data encryption and ensure regular training for employees on data protection practices., Conduct regular audits of data-sharing practices to prevent unintentional exposures., Implement mandatory password protection for all shared links containing sensitive data. and Establish a clear incident response protocol to avoid public disputes over responsibility..
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..
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A vulnerability was found in Nothings stb up to 1.26. Impacted is the function stbtt_InitFont_internal in the library stb_truetype.h of the component TTF File Handler. Performing a manipulation results in out-of-bounds read. Remote exploitation of the attack is possible. The exploit has been made public and could be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
V-SFT versions 6.2.10.0 and prior contain an out-of-bounds read in VS6ComFile!get_macro_mem_COM. Opening a crafted V7 file may lead to information disclosure from the affected product.
V-SFT versions 6.2.10.0 and prior contain a stack-based buffer overflow in VS6ComFile!CSaveData::_conv_AnimationItem. Opening a crafted V7 file may lead to arbitrary code execution on the affected product.
V-SFT versions 6.2.10.0 and prior contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in VS6MemInIF!set_temp_type_default. Opening a crafted V7 file may lead to information disclosure from the affected product.
V-SFT versions 6.2.10.0 and prior contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in VS6ComFile!load_link_inf. Opening a crafted V7 file may lead to information disclosure from the affected product.

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