Cyberattack downs Pensacola computers hours after Navy base attack
Federal authorities are investigating a cyberattack on the city of Pensacola, Florida, home to the naval air station where a Saudi flight student killed three sailors and wounded eight others on Friday. The FBI told CBS News it is providing resources to assist after the cyberattack.
"I can confirm the city of Pensacola has experienced a cyberattack and we've disconnected much of our city's network until the issue can be resolved," said the city's spokeswoman, Kaycee Lagarde.
"As a precaution we have reported the incident to the federal government," Lagarde said, acknowledging the deadly violence at the Pensacola Naval Air Station.
City officials became aware of the attack at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, many hours after the shooting. They expressed caution about linking the two incidents. The FBI said Monday night that it has not established a connection between the incidents.
The FBI has not identified a connection between the cyber incident reported by the City of Pensacola and the NAS Pensacola shooting. Our preliminary investigation continues. https://t.co/GOhMyRsOcA
— FBI Jacksonville (@FBIJacksonville) December 10, 2019
Much of the city's computer systems remained offline Monday morning. However, city officials stressed that all emergency services were running, including 911 services.
Some phone lines to city offices were not working as the city and federal authorities continued their investigation. The city's email and other electronic services were also down until further notice.
"We're continuing to operate. We just might have to do some things a little bit old-school, with pen and paper," Lagarde said.
She could not immediately discuss how officials became aware of the cyberattack.
"We don't want to get into too many specifics because of security," she said.
City officials asked for patience in a community still grieving over the shooting at the Navy installation, a central part of the local economy and public life.
The FBI said Sunday that it is working with the "presumption that this was an act of terrorism" after the shooting. The gunman has been identified as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, 21, a Saudi national who was a naval student at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Meanwhile, Florida Sen. Rick Scott on Monday called on suspending American military programs to train foreign nationals in the U.S. until the Department of Defense and the Department of State complete investigations into the Pensacola attack.