Foster City cyberattack keeping network down: Investigation continues into ransomware found last week

City Manager Stefan Chatwin said he is not aware of any similar occurrence of this magnitude in the city.

Ransomware attacks and cybersecurity breaches have increased significantly over the last couple years, which affect both private sector companies and public agencies, however, the latter tend to be more resource-constrained which can make them particularly vulnerable, said Ian Lin, director of research and development at Packetlabs, a cybersecurity firm.

“A lot of times [cybercriminals] are financially motivated. but they can’t always get away with hacking a big corporation, so they target someone more resource constrained like local governments,” Lin said.  

Chatwin said he could not comment whether the city’s network has been held ransom by cyberattackers.

Other cities and public agencies in California, such as in Oakland and Los Angeles, have also dealt with cyberattacks in recent years. Every city and organization handles the situation differently, Lin said, with some deciding to pay the ransom.

“Ransom demands are increasing. It’s increased almost 80% or 90% from 2025, and they’re demanding higher amounts,” Lin said. “Over the past 10 to 20 years there have been many organizations that have chosen to [pay], so it’s a validation to the attacker.”

Cybercriminals often access networks like a municipal government via remote desktop servers or social engineering, which involves reaching out via phishing emails or calls, he added. 

Mayor Art Kiesel said he’s heard from a few residents about whether they should be concerned over potential sharing of personal data. 

“I’m trying to curb any anxiety that might be out there,” Kiesel said. “I can appreciate where [residents] are coming from … but it’s going to take some time to go through everything and find out what has happened in detail.”