Residents relying on OnSolve CodeRED for emergency alerts need to look elsewhere for updates. The City of Kettering announced a security breach that sidelined the external communication platform used by many local governments and public safety agencies nationwide.
While the City has limited ties with CodeRED's operations, impervious to the breach, they confirmed that an organized cybercriminal group targeted the platform. Kettering relies on this system to transmit urgent notifications to its residents, who, without their consent, may now be left in the dark during potential emergencies.
User data, including names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and passwords used to create profiles on the system, was reportedly removed. The City of Kettering's announcement urges residents that "if you use the same password on CodeRED and other personal or business accounts, you should change the password on your other accounts." Due to the incident, access to CodeRED accounts is currently unavailable.
In the interim, the City has been scrabbling to keep residents informed about alternative emergency information channels, such as their website, Facebook page, and local media outlets. They assured that this incident does not impact 9-1-1 services, a standalone system that remains functional for handling emergency calls.
The City also notified the public that they are in the process of transitioning to a new emergency platform operated by Crisis24, though they are still "awaiting account activation." In light of rising cybersecurity threats, the breached platform shared steps for individuals to better protect themselves. These include employing strong, unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and exercising caution with suspicious emails and public WiFi networks.
With the growing frequency of data breaches compromising countless organizations, the events enveloping CodeRED reflect a sobering reality of our digitized age – no platform is entirely safe. As Kettering and similar entities navigate this new challenge, individuals are advised to remain vigilant, adapt to evolving security practices, and brace for potential disruptions to services once taken for granted.
