Foster City Hit by Ransomware Attack, Disrupting Public Services
Foster City, California, has suspended most public services following a ransomware attack detected on its networks early Thursday morning. The city confirmed the breach in a news release, stating that non-emergency operations were temporarily paused while an investigation assesses the full scope of the incident.
Emergency services, including 911 and police dispatch, remain operational and unaffected. However, the city acknowledged that public information may have been accessed during the breach. Limited details are currently available, but officials are working to declare a state of emergency to facilitate external support in restoring systems.
City Manager Stefan Chatwin emphasized that public safety remains the top priority, with city employees and cybersecurity experts actively working to secure systems and prevent further disruptions. The incident highlights the growing threat of ransomware targeting municipal infrastructure, with recovery efforts ongoing.
Source: https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/03/19/foster-city-services-impacted-by-cyber-security-breach/
City of Foster City cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/cityoffostercity
"id": "CIT1773980634",
"linkid": "cityoffostercity",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "3/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'government',
'location': 'Foster City, California, USA',
'name': 'Foster City',
'type': 'municipality'}],
'data_breach': {'type_of_data_compromised': 'public information'},
'description': 'Foster City, California, has suspended most public services '
'following a ransomware attack detected on its networks early '
'Thursday morning. The city confirmed the breach in a news '
'release, stating that non-emergency operations were '
'temporarily paused while an investigation assesses the full '
'scope of the incident. Emergency services, including 911 and '
'police dispatch, remain operational and unaffected. However, '
'the city acknowledged that public information may have been '
'accessed during the breach.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'public information',
'operational_impact': 'suspension of most public services',
'systems_affected': 'non-emergency public services'},
'investigation_status': 'ongoing',
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': 'public information may have been '
'accessed'},
'references': [{'source': 'news release'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'news release',
'recovery_measures': 'ongoing efforts to restore systems',
'third_party_assistance': 'external support'},
'title': 'Foster City Hit by Ransomware Attack, Disrupting Public Services',
'type': 'ransomware'}