Hayward government still reeling from major cyber attack
HAYWARD - Hayward is still struggling to fully recover from a recent cyber attack that threatened to cripple the city's computer systems.
City spokesperson Chuck Finnie says there are encouraging signs of progress. The city was about to bring its website back online Tuesday after it was shutdown as a precaution to limit exposure and vulnerability to the attack.
"I came here to renew my business license because I sell jewelry at the Flea Market. But they told me that I had to do it online because their system was down," says small business owner Mellina Leahy who left city hall empty-handed Tuesday afternoon.
Posted around city hall were signs warning employees not to "log onto any computer or other machine that was left in the building over the weekend..." Finnie described the attack as "ongoing" and said the city's entire computer system would need to be scanned and any malicious software neutralized and removed.
Leahy says her trip to city hall was just a big waste of time.
"It's kind of annoying because I don't live around here. I live in Fremont. It's not super far. But I wouldn't have come over here if I knew it was going to happen," she said.
Finnie was not about to give a definite timeline to fully restore the function of all of the city's computer systems. He did say that the attack was discovered early Sunday and steps were taken to minimize the scope and severity on the incursion.
Cyber security experts say recent attacks in Oakland and other cities across California should have given places like Hayward an opportunity to prepare and plan for an attack.
"They have this warning -- this neon sign -- saying, 'You might be next.' So, you had better be prepared with a disaster recovery plan and backup plan," SJSU Computer Science Professor Ahmed Banafa said.