Hayward city website restored following ransomware attack
Hayward approves emergency proclamation to respond to ransomware attack
There was a special meeting to respond to a ransomware attack on the city of Haywards computers and networks. They say no personal data was compromised but online payments for services such as water and building permits are still unavailable. City manager says there is no disruption to emergency services. An expert shares insight into how attackers operate and why cities whove been hacked may learn from the experience..
HAYWARD, Calif. - Hayward's municipal computer network was restored Tuesday following a ransomware attack earlier this month, city officials announced on Thursday.
The city's official website was restored on July 11, a few days after the targeted attack, but the city's full internal computer network only returned online Tuesday.
City officials said that the intruders aimed to disrupt and extort the city, ransoming returned access for money.
As of July 11, the city declared there was no evidence of an information breach or theft, though its most recent update states that any affected individuals will be contacted directly.
One of the recently restored systems was Computer Aided Dispatch, which supports Hayward's 911 Center and emergency dispatch. After the cybersecurity threat, dispatchers used pen, paper, and radio to communicate with officers and firefighter-paramedics.
While most systems are now up and running, some systems related to library bill services and water bill payments are not completely functional yet.
As of press time, Hayward is not disclosing other information about the ransomware investigation, and is not revealing details such as the intruders' identities, parties involved, or what sort of ransom was sought.