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Oakland was hit by a ransomware attack on Wednesday night, forcing the city to take all systems offline until the network can be secured and affected services restored.
The good news is, that the city reported that 911 dispatch, fire, and emergency resources were all generally functioning. In coordination with law enforcement, the city’s Information Technology Department (ITD) is investigating the incident and working to secure and restore services affected by the attack.
In addition, the San Jose Sun reported that Modesto, about an hour and a half away, was experiencing a citywide ransomware attack at the same time.
According to a statement issued on Friday, the City’s Information Technology Department is coordinating with law enforcement and actively investigating the issue.
Our core functions are intact. 911, financial data, fire, and emergency resources are not impacted.
Furthermore, the city is developing a response plan based on best practices in the industry and will share more information as it becomes available.
They have not released any information about ransom demands or data theft from compromised systems, and the ransomware group responsible for the attacks remains unknown.
Reporter Jaime Omar Yassin, who broke the story on Thursday that Oakland was likely hit by ransomware, also reported that the city’s IT department was understaffed last year.
Confirmed: City Admin sent this email to employees tonight, confirming City experienced a ransomware attack its still recovering from. All City computers are offline from City network; VPN access offline. What this means for residents may only become evident in the coming days. https://t.co/lQROUREqcf pic.twitter.com/JCdBWYVq0j
— Trash Night Heron (@hyphy_republic) February 10, 2023
At least six U.S. local governments have already been affected by ransomware this year, with at least four having their data stolen. According to Emsisoft, ransomware attacks have affected more than 200 hundred larger organizations in the U.S. public sector in 2022.
Feel free to check out some more ransomware statistics here.
Ransomware attacks on cities the size of Oakland have become less common in recent years as governments strengthen their cybersecurity defenses and groups target smaller governments with fewer resources. In 2018 and 2019, devastating attacks struck New Orleans, Atlanta, and Baltimore. In 2021, Tulsa also reported an attack by the Conti ransomware group.
As ransomware spreads and becomes more dangerous, understanding the main ransomware attack vector and how to prevent and mitigate ransomware is an absolute lifesaver you should not overlook if you want to keep your organization safe.
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Gabriella is the Social Media Manager and Cybersecurity Communications Officer at Heimdal®, where she orchestrates the strategy and content creation for the company's social media channels. Her contributions amplify the brand's voice and foster a strong, engaging online community. Outside work, you can find her exploring the outdoors with her dog.
