Posted on 08/09/2026 3:49:24 AM PDT by Libloather
A California city pulled the plug on its entire computer network after a cyberattack knocked out key systems, including 911 routing and police and fire dispatch.
Suisun City declared a state of emergency Saturday after malicious software breached its IT systems at about 5:45 a.m. Friday.
The city’s response was drastic.
Officials shut down the entire network to stop the threat from spreading and protect evidence for a federal investigation.
Despite the digital chaos, Suisun City officials said residents are not facing an immediate danger.
Emergency crews remain on the streets, with city dispatchers routing calls through the Solano County dispatch center.
Police and fire personnel are continuing to respond to calls for service.
The attack also disrupted city records and other municipal services, leaving online services and internal operations temporarily unavailable.
The Suisun City Council voted unanimously Saturday morning to declare the emergency during an 11 a.m. special meeting.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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I lived on n Suisun for 27 years.
What possible legitimate need is there for things like this and the water systems that recently got hacked to be on the internet?
This type of vulnerability is a national security risk.
“Work” from home???
Instead of “hackers” it is “malicious software breached,” so don’t be surprised if someone on the IT staff accidentally uploaded something.
Framing it as an attack does a couple of things: makes the city less negligent and generates clicks for the media creator.
“What possible legitimate need is there for things like this and the water systems that recently got hacked to be on the internet?”
Most likely the ultimate reason is the cost of having employees who have to be onsite. When you add up the cost of salary, benefits, extra insurance, liability, and a host of other issues, it’s not just the $20/hour cost...it’s the adders. Put all those dozens of things that must be monitored and adjusted on the internet and the whole thing can be automated. Automation means the labor cost goes close to zero.
The problem is the automation, and the maintenance are done in the cheapest way possible. But protecting that from hackers is expensive and ongoing.
Yep, somebody clicked on an email link. When are we going to hold office staff responsible? IT can stop many things, but it can’t fix stupidity.
A few years ago, the agency I worked for sent out bogus emails to all employees with a clickable link. We stopped the test after over one hundred employees - all of whom take annual cyber security training - clicked the link.
“What possible legitimate need is there for things like this and the water systems that recently got hacked to be on the internet?”
IIRC (and correct me if I’m wrong) the KGB went offline and shifted back to paper and typewriters a few years back as a preventive to this type of activity.
TikTok as a platform is a proliferation mechanism. ALL social media platforms are. All it takes is one advertising platform to be compromised, and threat actors can inject malicious code into any and all advertisements served. It takes one person clicking on that malicious link.
CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) solutions should be configured across every government agency to prohibit the use of every social media platform except those used specifically for government business. Those should NEVER be shared accounts, and they should be forced through proxies or heavily controlled content filters to prevent serving of malvertising.
There’s a saying in the industry: “Threat actors aren’t breaking in, they’re logging in.” Almost every major breach in the news starts by someone clicking on a link in a phishing email or responding to a text message. Once the bad guys have legitimate credentials, it’s absurdly easy to gain access, pivot, escalate, proliferate, and exfiltrate.
I can guarantee you this breach started by someone clicking a link.
Unfortunately SCADA systems and truly air-gapped environments can still be compromised. All it takes is one disgruntled employee to plug in an unapproved USB device, and the entire system can be taken down.
I’ve seen manufacturing industries with multi-million dollar industrial equipment running on Windows 95 completely shut down due to a wayward thumb drive. Truly offline mechanical systems don’t exist anymore.
“Can TikTok shut down or interrupt phone services? Just a question.”
Of course not - IDIOT...until they do. Kind of like the Flock article today - the cameras were not a problem to Republicans, until a Republican Congressman got followed home by a pig for a stupid-ass reason.
Delco here in PA has been hacked twice. I have no doubt they were caught by phishing as that is so easy with dumb government types.
$$$$ and gullibility
In doing contracts for years for such entities, the staff is a pack of blinkered arseholes. They read a mag or get a visit (with lunch, of course) from some sleazy SiliconValley TWOT offering a doodad at below market. No mention of service after installation.
But, BUTTTTTTT, they know an outfit that has a glorious record of system support (i.e., staffed by their nephews). So, the dipshitte utility bosses (check in hand) buy the kit and then speak to the nephew. Nephew insists that he will only provide service by dialin from his office — in his Gran’s basement.
Disaster ensues.
Every damned time.
All hackers should get swift death. The same for any cyber-related criminal & fraudster.
Of course not - IDIOT...until they do. Kind of like the Flock article today - the cameras were not a problem to Republicans, until a Republican Congressman got followed home by a pig for a stupid-ass reason.
Really? A pig?
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