Oakland declares emergency after ransomware attack

Oakland, Calif., declared a local state of emergency on Tuesday night following a ransomware attack that impacted the city’s network a week ago.

The city’s interim administrator, G. Harold Duffey, issued the emergency as the city continues to experience a network outage that has impacted nonemergency systems, including phone lines. The city’s financial systems, fire emergency services and 911 dispatch have not been impacted.

City officials said in a press release that the local emergency allows the city to speed up “the procurement of equipment and materials, activate emergency workers if needed, and issue orders on an expedited basis.”

The city also said that its information technology department is working with law enforcement and a forensics firm to investigate the scope and severity of the incident, which began on the night of Feb. 8. 

“This continues to be an ongoing investigation with multiple local, state, and federal agencies involved,” the press release said.