Cambridge Asks Residents To Reset Passwords on Emergency Alert Platform After Cyberattack

Cambridge switched to an updated emergency alert system and urged users to reset their passwords after a nationwide cyberattack on the system’s provider exposed sensitive user data, the city announced Thursday.

The platform, OnSolve CodeRED, was taken offline in November and migrated to more secure software, according to a press release from Cambridge spokesperson Jeremy H. Warnick.

CodeRED is a nationwide notification system used to update participating residents on emergency situations, such as extreme weather or power outages. The CodeRED site had been down since the attack until Thursday, when Crisis 24 launched a new platform under the name “CodeRED by Crisis 24.” Users can now access their own account using a different password.

Warnick’s message came several weeks after the cyberattack against OnSolve CodeRED. The OnSolve notification system is provided by Crisis24, a risk management service, and is used by police departments and public safety agencies globally.

The incident impacted CodeRED systems across the United States including Cambridge. It did not impact any other city of Cambridge sites or the Emergency Alert System used by the federal government.

The cyberattack, which Crisis24 wrote was a “target attack by an organized cybercriminal group,” was first flagged by the Great Falls Police Department in Montana on Nov. 10, 2025. Since then, OnSolve found additional potential vulnerabilities on its website, forcing them to “permanently decommission" the platform in mid to late November.

The attack breached user data and leaked personal information. Phone numbers, email addresses, and passwords of CodeRED users nationwide were among the data that was illegally accessed. In an initial statement released on Nov. 26, the city of Cambridge urged users to update the passwords to their other personal and business accounts if they had used the same password as their CodeRED accounts.

Warnick wrote in an email that the provider “informed the City that it promptly took steps to secure its systems, launched an investigation, and engaged external cybersecurity experts to assist.”

The City of Cambridge also wrote in Thursday’s announcement that it would be “actively working with OnSolve to ensure its new security standards are upheld.”

The city’s announcement, available on the Cambridge website, provides information for accessing old accounts and recommends existing users to change their passwords.