0 months ago
Suisun City Declares State of Emergency Following Cyberattack on Systems
A city in California called Suisun City was attacked by bad computer software.
The virus broke into the computers the city uses to run its services.
This included the system that helps route 911 emergency calls.
To stop the virus from spreading, officials turned off all the city's computers.
Even with the computers off, police and firefighters still answer emergency calls.
Those calls are now sent to a nearby county's dispatch centre instead.
Some online services, like paying water bills, are paused for now.
City leaders met on Saturday and voted to declare a state of emergency.
This lets the city get special money and technical help from the state.
Experts are now working to safely fix the city's computer systems.
Suisun City, California, declared a local state of emergency after malicious software breached its IT systems on Friday morning.
The cyberattack affected 911 call routing, emergency dispatch tools, internal city records, and municipal services.
To contain the attack, the city shut down its entire IT network.
Emergency calls are automatically transferred to the neighbouring Solano County dispatch centre, so 911 handling continues without interruption.
The City Council voted unanimously on Saturday to declare the state of emergency, enabling access to state funding and technical resources.
- Who
- Suisun City officials, the City Council, and cybersecurity experts; the attackers have not been publicly identified.
- What
- A cyberattack crippled the city's digital network, affecting 911 routing and emergency dispatch, prompting a declared state of emergency.
- Where
- Suisun City, California, a community of roughly 30,000 residents between San Francisco and Sacramento.
- When
- The attack was detected on Friday morning; the City Council voted to declare a state of emergency on Saturday.
- Why
- To contain the malware, access state emergency funding and technical resources, and safely restore municipal operations.
Key facts
- City
- Suisun City, California
- Population
- Roughly 30,000 residents
- Attack confirmed
- Friday morning; malicious software breached IT systems
- Affected systems
- 911 call routing, emergency dispatch, internal records, municipal services
- Containment measure
- Entire IT network shut down
- 911 continuity
- Calls auto-transferred to Solano County dispatch centre
- State of emergency
- Unanimously declared by the City Council on Saturday
- Responsible party
- Not publicly identified; ransom demand not clarified
Quotes
Alex Hammerstone
cybersecurity expert quoted by NewsNation
“After an incident happens, there's all the money in the world to go out and fix it, but before an incident happens, it's much harder to get budget for prevention.”
NDTV
Sources
Related news
OpenAI Commits $1 Billion to Cyberdefense Amid AI Safety Scrutiny
US Warns of Attacks on Siemens Devices in Water Systems
Companies warn AI cyberattacks may surge, seek early model access
Delhi High Court Rejects Challenge to C-DOT Emergency Alert Deal
Iran-Linked Hackers Shut Down UK Power Plant Four Days
Katie Pavlich Joins NewsNation for Primetime Show
Fox News Tops September Ratings, While CNN and MSNBC Decline
Dhoni's Defamation Case Heads to Trial After 11 Years
