Oakland ransomware attack reaches day 8

OAKLAND, Calif. - The City of Oakland has been under ransomware siege for the last eight days.

The City Administrator issued a proclamation of local emergency which allows the city to buy or rent anything, including equipment and materials as well as the activation of emergency workers, needed to deal with the emergency.

Under the proclamation, the city would be able to receive emergency funding from the state and Federal government. 

City officials have not released many details about the attack. 

"As a council member, I have very little information on all the background that's going on," said Oakland Council Member Noel Gallo.

At Oakland's police headquarters, lines and wait times to file police reports are getting longer.

KTVU spoke to one man who waited in line for over two hours to reports a car break in. 

The longer the ransomware attack goes, the harder it is for people to get the services they need. 

Residents have been unable to pay parking tickets via credit card or check. And city employees are having to do many tasks by hand rather than on computers as normal. 

The city sent a memo out to employees this week as fears among city workers grew about the effect the attack would have on payroll. 

 The memo told employees that by the end of Wednesday, the city would have an alternative way to pay their wages and that there would be no delay.

The memo also asked them to fill out a survey on the impact the attack is having on their electronic devices and operations to assist technical crews in systems restoration which drags on and on and on. 

"I grew up here all my lifetime in East Oakland and yeah, we've always had killing and shootings and robberies, but I've never seen Oakland at this level," said Council Member Gallo.