Long Beach Declares State of Emergency Following Cyberattack
Pages of the city’s website were taken offline, and investigations into the attack are expected to continue for several days.
- A major cybersecurity breach has resulted in Long Beach City, California, announcing a state of emergency.
- The attack has impacted payment processing, public services, city call centers, and the central website of the city administration.
The City Council of Long Beach, California, declared a state of emergency following a cybersecurity breach discovered on the 14th of November that forced the city to shut down several of its systems. The emergency declaration will allow the city manager to gain additional resources to respond to the attack, which comes on the heels of the ransomware attack in Huber Heights, Ohio.
The city administration has been forced to shut down payment processing for utility bills, in addition to some call centers, public services, and the central website of the city. These systems are expected to remain offline for several days as the investigation is being carried out, according to a statement by the Mayor.
While public safety and emergency systems have remained unaffected, the city administration has urged using public services through the Go Long Beach mobile app, although delays are expected. The attack has pushed city administration to resort to offline alternatives to operations. The FBI, local law enforcement, and third-party cybersecurity consultants have become a part of the investigation.
See More: Ransomware Attack Severely Impacts City in Ohio
Long Beach City officials will now have to vote on whether to limit the state of emergency to a local problem or declare a full state of emergency. Doing so will allow for greater streamlining of emergency services during the investigation. Consequently, the city has made the city open to the public.
This is the third city in California to be impacted by cyber incidents. In April 2023, the cities of Oakland and Modesto were hit by ransomware attacks just days apart. The nature of the attack in Long Beach is unclear, but officials have called it a network security incident.
What do you think local administrations can do to handle cyber security threats better? Let us know your thoughts on LinkedIn, X, or Facebook. We’d love to hear from you!
Image source: Shutterstock
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