Suisun City Declares State of Emergency Following Cyberattack on IT Systems

Suisun City officials declared a state of emergency on Saturday due to a cyberattack that forced the shutdown of the city's information technology network. This attack disrupted communication operations for the fire and police departments, including the routing of 911 calls. Despite the incident, officials assured the public that there was no imminent threat and that all public safety services remained operational. The decision to shut down the computer network was made to contain the threat and preserve evidence for an ongoing federal investigation.

Emergency calls for police and fire services are currently being handled through the Solano County dispatch center. As of Sunday morning, online city services and internal operations were still unavailable while cybersecurity experts worked to investigate the incident and restore systems.

This cyberattack is reportedly the first of its kind for the city, which has a population of approximately 30,000 and is located 55 miles north of San Francisco. The incident highlights the growing concern over cybersecurity threats to essential services in local communities across the United States.

Federal agencies have noted that targeting communication technologies within public safety agencies represents a new frontier for cybercriminals, potentially linked to actors affiliated with Iran. Investigations are ongoing into similar cyberattacks that have targeted municipal water systems across various states. Recently, the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued warnings about hackers remotely accessing infrastructure for water and wastewater systems in at least seven states.

In response to these threats, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has called for the restoration of federal funding for programs aimed at coordinating multi-state cybersecurity efforts. Governor Gavin Newsom's office stated that there is currently no evidence that California's water systems were among those targeted in the recent attacks. However, they emphasized that state-level cybersecurity efforts are insufficient without a coordinated federal response, as cyber threats transcend state boundaries. The governor's office expressed concern that cuts to the federal cybersecurity workforce and critical programs have weakened the necessary partnerships and support needed to protect essential services nationwide.