Foster City Faces Ransomware Attack, Declares State of Emergency

Foster City, California, experienced a ransomware attack on March 19, 2026, disrupting all non-emergency city services. The city's IT staff detected the breach early Thursday morning, leading to a temporary shutdown of public services while emergency operations, including 911, remained unaffected. City officials are investigating the extent of the breach, which may have exposed public records. As a precaution, residents and businesses that interacted with the city are advised to change their passwords and secure their personal data. City Manager Stefan Chatwin announced plans to declare a state of emergency to facilitate financial support for recovery efforts. External cybersecurity experts have been engaged to assist in the investigation and remediation of the incident. The investigation is ongoing, and the specific ransomware variant and threat actor have not yet been identified.

Key Points: • Foster City was hit by a ransomware attack on March 19, 2026, disrupting non-emergency services. • Emergency services, including 911, remain operational despite the attack. • Residents are urged to change passwords and secure personal data due to potential exposure.