Some Long Beach city systems, including its website, are offline after a security breach targeting the city, and it could take several days before all services are restored, according to a written statement and a city spokesperson.
The city is currently unable to process utility bill payments online or in person, and a planning commission meeting set for Thursday night won’t be live-streamed but is expected to still be held in person, spokesperson Chelsey Magallon said Thursday morning.
Emergency services are still operating, according to the city, which said “at this time, there is no indication” the incident affected the city’s police department, fire department or emergency operations center.
Anyone can still call 911 for emergencies or the city’s non-emergency dispatch line at 562-435-6711.
City Hall and city departments remain open and phone and email systems are working, but people with business such as planning department appointments will likely need to reschedule.
“We are expecting these impacts to continue upwards of the next several days,” Magallon said. “We’re working through all of this right now and our commitment is to keeping our community as informed as possible.”
A statement sent out Wednesday night said the city learned Tuesday that there may have been a cybersecurity incident, and the city’s Department of Technology and Innovation started an investigation with help from a consultant and the FBI.
“Through the investigation it was determined a network security incident occurred,” the city’s statement said.
City officials said the technology and cybersecurity teams are working to identify the source and scope of the incident, assess potential vulnerabilities and implement additional security measures. The teams are also gathering recommendations on response and recovery plans.
No additional details were available, but the city said it would provide updates at longbeach.gov as it gathers more information.
The city urged people to follow its official accounts on Facebook, X and Instagram for updates as well.
Alicia Robinson and City News Service contributed to this report.