OAKLAND, Calif. (KERO) — Officials are dealing with a ransomware attack that has taken some city systems offline in Oakland.
City officials issued a statement on Wednesday claiming that 9-1-1 and emergency services were still up and running, however, other systems were down. The news left many residents frustrated and unable to conduct their business, as computers and phones were down at the Oakland administration building.
"It's a citywide shutdown of the information systems that we rely on for every single function of our city," said Oakland resident Hilary Crosby.
"My understanding is we can't even do our own employees' time sheet, including mine, so I might not wind up getting paid," said Noel Gallo, an Oakland City Council member. "I am sure that will expedite us and get this thing resolved."
Meanwhile, Kathy Park, another Oakland resident, claims that she couldn't pay her necessary fees.
"One city worker who was at least willing to talk to us and give us an update, though he had little information," said Park. "I still wasn't able to pay my business license renewal in person with cash."
Experts say it was most likely a phishing email that led to compromising their data. Hackers usually demand a ransom to be deposited in an overseas account to decrypt the files. It can cost thousands, if not millions, for a company or a city to back up its systems instead of paying the ransom.
