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County IT previews plan to disable USB ports on county PCs to reduce ransomware risk; policy to return for approval
Summary
The county IT director told commissioners the county will default USB/thumb-drive ports off on county computers and enable ports case-by-case for approved users as part of a larger cybersecurity posture and insurer expectations; commissioners asked about exceptions for AgriLife/Texas A&M devices and how drives will be scanned.
The county's IT director previewed a cybersecurity campaign that would disable USB/thumb-drive ports on county desktop and laptop computers by default and permit exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
The director said the campaign aims to reduce the "human factor" risk that is commonly exploited in ransomware attacks and to meet evolving cyberinsurance requirements. Staff said some departments (for example, the county clerks and district clerk) would rarely need thumb-drive access, whereas others (libraries, marketing, or specialized AgriLife devices) may require allowances that IT will manage individually.
Commissioners asked operational questions, including whether drives can be scanned and how AgriLife/Texas A&M-connected machines will be handled. The director said drives would need to be brought to IT for scanning and that staff are working on solutions for AgriLife machines; he said the change is intended to be proactive, with exceptions granted where necessary.
No formal vote was taken; the director said a written policy will be presented after review by the county's incident-response and legal teams for insurance compliance.
