According to sources, Modesto police (a Public Safety organization in California) was hit with a cyber attack. It was first reported on 2023-02-09.
Source 1 | 2023-02-09
“The Modesto police department has been hacked in recent days by ransomware, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the incident told The Bee late Wednesday. “
“While the extent of the damage is not fully known, the cybersecurity breach has disabled patrol vehicle laptops, causing officers to resort to “old school policing.” Since the attack, officers must write down the details of the calls they receive from dispatch rather than receiving them through electronic communication. “
“Modesto officials would not confirm the attack Wednesday after but issued a statement Wednesday afternoon after The Bee inquired about the matter. The city is conducting an investigation with leading cybersecurity experts after it “recently detected suspicious activity on (its) digital network,” according to the statement. “
“Modesto said in its statement that it “strategically disconnected portions of (its) network out of an abundance of caution.” One of the sources said Modesto officers can be heard on police scanners telling dispatch when they are transporting suspects to jail or asking for their next call after completing their current one. These communications had been done by computer before the attack. “
Source 2 | 2023-04-10
“The recent ransomware attack on Modesto’s IT network may cost the city at least $1 million for expert help in recovering from it and for “additional security detection and prevention tools that may have deterred the attacker,” according to a city report. “
“"The City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve spending as much as $586,645 for the expert help and as much as $497,000 annually for the security detection and prevention tools. "“
“Modesto anticipates it will be reimbursed by its cybersecurity insurance provider for the cost of the expert help, less the city’s $100,000 deductible, according to a resolution accompanying the city report. “
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