Cyberattack Disrupts Massachusetts Regional Emergency Dispatch and Town Phone Systems

A cyberattack hit the Patriot Regional Emergency Communications Center in Pepperell, Massachusetts, disrupting computer systems used by town and public safety agencies across several northern Massachusetts communities. Officials said the incident affected police and fire operations in Ashby, Dunstable, Pepperell, Townsend, and other towns served by the regional dispatch hub, while non-emergency and business phone lines were knocked offline. Emergency 9-1-1 services remained operational despite the outage.

Municipal officials said they brought in insurance representatives and outside cybersecurity responders and notified federal law enforcement as the investigation began. Authorities are still determining whether any data was accessed or stolen, and no threat actor had publicly claimed responsibility at the time of reporting. The affected center also supports emergency call intake and dispatch and is connected to the CodeRED notification platform, underscoring the continued exposure of municipal and emergency communications systems to disruptive cyber incidents.