A ransomware attack has disrupted municipal operations in Foster City, California . The city, with about 34,000 residents, was forced to suspend most public services after suspicious activity was detected early Thursday morning. According to city officials, the cyberattack in Foster City prompted the immediate activation of “incident response protocols.”
As a precautionary measure, most government computer systems were taken offline to protect the network and prevent further breaches.
“We have taken most of our computer systems offline while we secure our network,” the city said in a press release. “We are working with independent cybersecurity experts to assist with the investigation and recovery.”
Cyberattack on Foster City: Disruptions Across the Entire City
The cyberattack on Foster City has effectively paralyzed almost all non-emergency services in the city.
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While emergency services, such as 911, remained operational, there were temporary outages. Both emergency and non-emergency phone lines for the Foster City Police Department were temporarily down Thursday, but were later restored. City officials confirmed that all public services, except for emergency response, have been disrupted.
Even political processes have been affected. A scheduled city council meeting took place in person only and was not available via Zoom due to system outages linked to the cyberattack.
At the City Hall, the disruption was evident. The offices were mostly empty on Friday, with most employees working remotely and many customer service offices having closed.
Fear for data breaches
In response to the incident, the city administrator declared a state of emergency, a move that allows access to additional financial and technical resources from outside agencies.
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Officials have also warned that sensitive public data may have been compromised. Residents and people who have done business with the city are urged to take immediate precautions. Authorities advised changing usernames and passwords and being vigilant against potential misuse of personal information.
“Public safety is our highest priority, so we encourage members of our community to take precautions that will better ensure the security of their personal information,” said City Administrator Stefan Chatwin. He added that city staff, along with external cybersecurity experts, “are working diligently to restore the integrity of the city’s system and ensure there are no further security issues that impact services to the community.”
Ransomware Attacks in Cities: A Growing Trend
The ransomware attack in Foster City reflects a broader trend affecting municipalities throughout California and the United States.
Over the past four years, ransomware groups have targeted government systems, particularly in smaller cities that may not have robust cybersecurity infrastructure. Other Bay Area cities, including Oakland, San Francisco, and Hayward, have also experienced similar cyber incidents. In 2023, Oakland suffered a major breach attributed to the hacker group Play, which exposed sensitive employee data and led to a class action lawsuit that was later settled.
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As the investigation into the Foster City cyberattack continues, officials remain focused on restoring services and securing systems. Independent cybersecurity experts are working with city staff to assess the damage, identify vulnerabilities, and prevent further incidents.
According to Cyber Express, the city remains in a recovery state, with limited available services and increased concern over possible data exposure.
