On Tuesday, the City of Long Beach experienced a network security incident that led to a local emergency proclamation. As reported by the city's official announcement, the Long Beach City Council met earlier today to consider declaring a state of emergency. This measure will enhance the protection of city systems while ensuring the city can maintain critical services and respond quickly to this security breach.

City Manager Tom Modica issued the Proclamation of Emergency on Thursday. This grants him emergency powers to deploy personnel effectively, rapidly contract specialized services, and maintain continuous operations. The proclamation also increases the available purchase authority of the City Manager to $1 million and the Purchasing Agent to $500,000.

The emergency meeting was effectively carried out in a hybrid format, with the public being able to participate via Zoom. In response to the incident, the City's Department of Technology and Innovation promptly initiated an investigation. It alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and secured the services of third-party cybersecurity professionals for remediation and further inquiry. In preparation for the probable outcomes of the investigation, several systems remain offline, which could last for a few days.

Although the incident has not led to any severe disruption of services yet, the citizens may face minor delays regarding some systems and services. The City thanked the public for their patience during this trying period.

Residents wanting to stay informed on updates regarding the recent incident can visit the City's temporary site at www.longbeach.gov and follow the City's social media pages. Navigating through these uncertain times requires vigilance against an ever-growing cyber threat landscape and resilience fostered through community cooperation.