Sammamish declares emergency in response to ransomware attack

The city of Sammamish declared an emergency on Wednesday in response to a ransomware attack on the city’s computer system.

The emergency declaration by interim City Manager Larry Patterson allowed the city to bring in a third-party security expert without having to go through the standard contracting process, the city said in a statement.

It also raised Patterson’s spending authority to exceed $50,000 without City Council approval, Sammamish Mayor Christie Malchow said in a tweet.

The attack was discovered Wednesday morning and has affected internal shared files, city spokeswoman Sharon Gavin said. Computers at City Hall were shut down for much of Wednesday, she said.

City officials haven’t yet determined the full extent of the attack but have taken down a building-permit portal and map services as a precaution, Gavin said. Residents will need to go in to City Hall to access those services, she said.

The city will release more information as the situation develops, Gavin said.

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