Cyberattack hits Oakland City Hall
Cyberattack hits Oakland City Hall
Photo of Nora Mishanec
Nora Mishanec
Feb. 13, 2023
Updated: Feb. 14, 2023 6:21 p.m.
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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's office declined to comment on the cause of a digital attack on the city's network that began Wednesday evening.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's office declined to comment on the cause of a digital attack on the city's network that began Wednesday evening.
Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle
UPDATE: Oakland declares state of emergency after cyberattack hobbles critical government tech
A cyberattack hit Oakland’s government offices last week, preventing residents from filing police reports and paying taxes, with city officials remaining tight-lipped about the cause Monday.
The city had shut down parts of its network while its Information Technology Department worked to investigate “the scope and severity” of the digital attack that began Wednesday evening, according to a statement posted Friday on the city website.
The city said ransomware was to blame for the digital breach. The software is frequently used to extort money from governments and other targets by threatening to publish confidential data or block access to files, with attacks on the rise in recent years.
The attack had not impacted “core functions” including “911, financial data, and fire and emergency resources,” according to the city’s statement.
But the attack had prevented some residents from filing police reports, and the Oakland Police Department said via email it did not have access to certain case files due to the breach. The department’s Strategic Communications Manager Paul Chambers declined to comment when reached by phone Monday and referred all questions to the city.
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Mayor Sheng Thao’s office declined to comment on the cause, referring questions to the city administrator, who did not immediately respond.
“Some folks have not been able to pay taxes or use city services,” District 6 Council Member Kevin Jenkins said when reached by phone Monday afternoon.
Information technology workers moved some city systems offline as they attempted to restore services, the city’s statement said. In the meantime, “the public should expect delays.”
Photo of Nora Mishanec
Nora Mishanec
Feb. 13, 2023
Updated: Feb. 14, 2023 6:21 p.m.
Comments
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's office declined to comment on the cause of a digital attack on the city's network that began Wednesday evening.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's office declined to comment on the cause of a digital attack on the city's network that began Wednesday evening.
Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle
UPDATE: Oakland declares state of emergency after cyberattack hobbles critical government tech
A cyberattack hit Oakland’s government offices last week, preventing residents from filing police reports and paying taxes, with city officials remaining tight-lipped about the cause Monday.
The city had shut down parts of its network while its Information Technology Department worked to investigate “the scope and severity” of the digital attack that began Wednesday evening, according to a statement posted Friday on the city website.
The city said ransomware was to blame for the digital breach. The software is frequently used to extort money from governments and other targets by threatening to publish confidential data or block access to files, with attacks on the rise in recent years.
The attack had not impacted “core functions” including “911, financial data, and fire and emergency resources,” according to the city’s statement.
But the attack had prevented some residents from filing police reports, and the Oakland Police Department said via email it did not have access to certain case files due to the breach. The department’s Strategic Communications Manager Paul Chambers declined to comment when reached by phone Monday and referred all questions to the city.
More Reading
Family of Oakland baker who died in robbery doesn’t want perpetrators sent to jail
Oakland barred from clearing Wood Street homeless encampment after judge’s reversal
Mayor Sheng Thao’s office declined to comment on the cause, referring questions to the city administrator, who did not immediately respond.
“Some folks have not been able to pay taxes or use city services,” District 6 Council Member Kevin Jenkins said when reached by phone Monday afternoon.
Information technology workers moved some city systems offline as they attempted to restore services, the city’s statement said. In the meantime, “the public should expect delays.”
