Cambridge residents who rely on the CodeRED emergency notification system were jolted recently, not by the usual weather warnings or community alerts, but by a different kind of emergency—a cyberattack. In a post-cyberassault move, users were urged to urgently recalibrate their access credentials. The CodeRED system, a mainstay for crucial notices, underwent a nationwide security breach last month, prompting a forced pause and a migration to a fortified platform, now dubbed CodeRED by Crisis24.
The initial platform was hit by a cyberattack which, unfortunately, affected user data. According to a statement released by the City of Cambridge, phone numbers, email addresses, and those passwords we all too often reuse were compromised. Cambridge's public safety agencies, hence, are advising everyone to promptly nullify any previous CodeRED passwords that might also have been doubled-up for other accounts, in addition to setting up new ones.
In response to the incident, OnSolve yanked CodeRED offline to contain the damage and has since pivoted to CodeRED by Crisis24, a new environment cleansed of prior vulnerabilities and given a rigorous safety vetting. Users' contact details have been transferred over, but all previous passwords have been discarded, for patently good reason, as stated by the City of Cambridge.
To regain account control, users will need to "visit CodeRED by Crisis24 to access your account," and then select "forgot password" to reset it. If the username slips your mind—a not uncommon predicacy—there's a "forgot username" option to help you out. The fresh security stance by OnSolve is clear: don't recycle your old CodeRED password, invent a strong, unique one for this account, and if that old password was used elsewhere, change it there too.
For residents feeling the unnerving pinch of potential identity theft or related cybercrimes, the City points them to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center for reporting. New users looking to stay informed can sign up through the Cambridge Alert Network or directly at CodeRED by Crisis24. Cambridge extends its gratitude for the community's patience and continues to work closely with OnSolve, making sure that the secure flow of critical alerts streams unhindered.
If you have any further questions or concerns about this cybersecurity event, CodeRED support is reachable at [email protected] for more detailed assistance.
