Suisun City Declares State of Emergency After Cyberattack

Suisun City has shut down its computer network and declared a state of emergency after a cybersecurity attack impacted services like police and fire dispatch in the community.

The city said “malicious software” infected information technology systems around 5:45 a.m. on Friday. 

The attack “hit critical public safety operations, including 911 routing, police and fire dispatch, records and City services,” according to a statement on the city’s website. Suisun City Police dispatchers began taking calls through the Solano County dispatch center and officials activated its emergency operations center.

“There is no imminent threat to the public,” the statement said. 

The city said it shut down its entire IT network to save evidence for a federal investigation. 

On Saturday morning, City Council members held a special meeting to declare a state of emergency, which the city said allows it to “quickly access emergency support services and to recoup costs.”

Local officials and public safety leaders did not respond to requests for comment about the incident by publication time.

They’re only the latest local government in the region to be hit by a cyberattack.

Earlier this year, Foster City and Pittsburg experienced other cyberattacks that impacted services in their own jurisdictions. Foster City declared a state of emergency after a March ransomware incident that shut down many services for more than a week. Pittsburg lost almost $1 million to a February phishing attack, though over half of it was recovered.

Suisun City has not given an estimate for when its services may come back online, but said it is working with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the California Office of Emergency Services to investigate the attack and restore the systems.