Information security specialists have reported a security incident at systems in Union City, California. According to reports, the presence of a virus has forced local authorities to completely shut down their computer systems. It is not yet clear whether the information held on these systems is safe, but authorities are already working with the FBI and cybersecurity firms to accurately determine the consequences of this incident.
“At the moment you will not be able to
make payments or apply for licenses or permissions in Union City, as a virus
has infected the City Hall’s systems,” reporter Anser Hassan posted on
Twitter. “Union City residents concerned about their personal information
will have to wait for news in the coming days,” he adds.
After spending entire days out of operations,
Union City Hall reopened Tuesday morning, although the systems have not been
fully restored. “The virus did not infect all systems; after it entered
our networks the virus was detected and we decided to shut down all systems as
a precaution measure,” said Lauren Sugayan, communications manager at
Union City.
In the face of the recent wave of ransomware infections in the US, the official was very clear in pointing out that this is not a similar incident, although she adds that it is not yet known how long all systems will be restored. “At least for the next few days the services will remain disrupted, including payment systems, permissions, among others.”
In addition to these services, the information
security firm working with Union City mentions that the issuance of licenses
and other permits has also been interrupted; the authorities will also not be
able to process any of these requests via email, as this service has also been
affected.
Although the City Hall telephone lines remain
in operation and some requests could be processed by this means, the authorities
mention that there is no guarantee that this will work. However, Sugayan
stressed that, in the case of fines or service payments, the periods for paying
will be extended without additional charges. Because public safety services in
Union City are provided by the city of Fremont, these activities have not been
affected.
About the virus variant in question, the
information security experts working on the case mention that they are unable
to reveal additional details at this time, “The only thing we can mention
is that the infection occurred on Friday night and was detected on Saturday morning,”
the investigators mention.
Officials have also not disclosed details about
how this incident could affect the personal information of Union City
residents, but claim that the FBI is taking over this part of the
investigation. “We’re not yet sure if the information has been exposed,
we’ll soon be able to confirm this information,” Lauren Sugayan added.
Information security specialists from the
International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) say that, due to the little
information confirmed so far, it is best for concerned people to be patient and
keep abreast of updates Union City to publish through its official
communication platforms.
