Executive Summary
- Attleboro, Massachusetts, is investigating a “cybersecurity incident” that has taken most city IT systems, including phone and email, offline.
- Emergency services like police and fire departments remain fully operational, with 911 services uninterrupted.
- City Hall is open but operating with limited capacity and paper-based systems, causing expected delays for residents.
- The Attleboro Public Schools’ systems were not affected by the incident.
The city of Attleboro, Massachusetts, is investigating a significant cybersecurity incident that has disabled several of its information technology systems, including phones and email services. Officials confirmed that despite the disruption, essential public safety services, including police and fire departments, remain fully operational and the school district has not been affected.
In a statement released Thursday, city leaders announced they are collaborating with cybersecurity specialists, insurers, and both state and federal partners to determine the cause of the incident and begin restoring services. While City Hall remains open for business, residents are advised to expect delays as staff utilize temporary paper-based procedures. Some tasks may be impossible to complete until the systems are fully restored.
The incident has rendered all city phone lines and email services non-functional. For emergencies, residents are instructed to continue calling 911. For non-emergency needs, the public can contact the police department at 508-223-2950 or the fire department at 508-399-8693. Officials noted that mutual aid communication channels with other area departments are still functioning.
“Our priority is maintaining emergency services and keeping the public informed,” Mayor Cathleen DeSimone said in a statement. “We are taking direct steps to manage this incident and will continue regular updates as work continues.” The city is asking for public patience as they work to resolve the widespread outage.