California city declares state of emergency after cyberattack hits 911 systems and forces entire network offline

A California city has declared a state of emergency following a cyberattack on its 911 systems and other municipal services. Suisun City, a community of around 30,000 people north of San Francisco, shut down its entire IT network on Friday, August 7, to contain the threat and preserve evidence. The attack, which began around 5:45am, did not interrupt emergency calls and responses.

The city declared the emergency at a special council meeting the following day to access emergency support and seek reimbursement for recovery costs. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and California Governor's Office of Emergency Services are assisting with the investigation and restoration efforts. The city's IT system automatically shuts down when it detects an intruder, ensuring the public remained safe.

As of now, there is no threat to public safety, but residents are experiencing difficulty using certain online services, such as paying water bills and processing permits. The restoration timeline is uncertain as every network function must be inspected before it can return online. Although the malicious software is not currently identified as ransomware, officials have not named a suspected attacker or reported any stolen information.

Smaller municipalities are often targeted by hackers due to their essential services and limited budgets. Earlier this year, Foster City faced a similar situation after ransomware took its services offline for over a week. In February, nearby Pittsburg suffered a $1 million loss due to a phishing scam, although more than half was recovered.

This incident highlights growing concerns about attacks on local infrastructure, with recent warnings from federal agencies about hackers compromising water and wastewater systems in various states. In 2024, Russia-linked hackers manipulated a Texas town's water controls using outdated credentials. Currently, Suisun City's affected systems remain offline while the investigation continues.