Suisun City Cyberattack Knocks Out 911 Network

Suisun City’s cyberattack has forced the California community to declare a state of emergency after malicious software knocked out 911 routing and disrupted police and fire dispatch. The city shut down its entire computer network Friday morning in an effort to contain the threat and protect evidence for a federal investigation.

City officials said the breach was detected at about 5:45 a.m. Friday. By Saturday morning, the Suisun City Council voted unanimously during a special meeting at 11 a.m. to approve the emergency declaration. Officials said residents were not facing immediate danger, even as the attack left online services, internal operations, city records and other municipal functions temporarily unavailable.

Emergency response systems remained active through workarounds. Dispatchers were routing calls through the Solano County dispatch center, and police and fire crews were still responding to calls for service. The city described the shutdown as a necessary step to keep the malicious software from spreading further across the network.

The emergency declaration was made under Government Code 8630, a measure that gives the city faster access to emergency support and allows it to recover costs tied to the cyberattack. In practical terms, the move also gives city leaders more flexibility as they deal with the fallout from the breach and the disruption to basic public services.