City of Oakland Ransomware Attack

Overview

The City of Oakland experienced a severe ransomware attack in February 2023, leading to a local state of emergency. The attack disrupted critical city services, including payroll systems, and resulted in the leak of 600GB of sensitive data after the city refused to pay the ransom. A lawsuit from the Oakland Police Department union followed, prompting increased investments in cybersecurity infrastructure.

Vulnerability Details

On February 8, 2023, a ransomware attack targeted the City of Oakland, impacting multiple municipal systems. The attack was carried out by the ransomware group Play, which encrypted city data and demanded a ransom. When the city refused to comply, the attackers leaked employee and resident data online, with a second data dump reaching 600GB. In response, Oakland declared a local state of emergency and began restoring systems from backups. The incident led to legal challenges and a budget allocation of $10 million to enhance IT security.

Terminal Description

Answer the following questions to assess your understanding of the City of Oakland ransomware attack.

• Read the case study details carefully.
• Select the most appropriate answer for each multiple-choice question.
• Review key lessons from the breach and understand mitigation strategies.

Relevant articles and reports on municipal ransomware attacks.

• City of Oakland Ransomware Response
• Best Practices for Municipal Cybersecurity