The latest meeting of the Sausalito City Council was abruptly called off due to a significant hacking attempt on the city’s computer system, as reported by the city manager. The agenda items that were slated for discussion on Tuesday have been rescheduled for upcoming meetings later this month. Mayor Joan Cox emphasized that the decision to cancel the meeting was made out of an abundance of caution.
City Manager Chris Zapata disclosed that hackers had made over 190,000 attempts within a 24-hour period to breach staff password access, but the city’s security measures were successful in thwarting the attack. Zapata credited the recent implementation of more complex user authentication protocols for the city’s ability to repel the hackers.
While the city announced the cyber attack on Wednesday, it refrained from divulging further details for security reasons. Sausalito officials, along with technology contractor Marin IT, are currently evaluating the extent of the breach and are working on enhancing the city’s security measures to combat cyber crimes and potential future attacks.
This incident is not an isolated one in Marin County, as other agencies have also fallen victim to digital attacks in recent years. In 2020, the Marin Housing Authority reported a theft of over $950,000 that had been designated for public housing rehabilitation in Marin City. Additionally, a Marin County Civil Grand Jury report from 2020 revealed that the county experienced five cyberattacks on government computers between 2017 and 2018, one of which resulted in a fraudulent transfer of $309,000 to a hacker’s bank accounts after deceiving the county’s finance staff.
The prevalence of cyber attacks underscores the importance of robust security measures and continual vigilance in safeguarding sensitive information and systems. As technology advances and cyber criminals become increasingly sophisticated, it is imperative for organizations and governmental bodies to stay ahead of the curve in protecting against these threats.
Moving forward, the city of Sausalito is committed to fortifying its defenses and fortifying its cybersecurity infrastructure to mitigate the risks posed by potential cyber attacks. By remaining proactive in addressing these challenges, Sausalito aims to uphold the integrity of its systems and ensure the safeguarding of its data from malicious actors.