County leaders in Glynn and Camden counties are warning residents about a cybersecurity incident that has affected the CodeRED emergency notification system, a platform used to send emergency alerts and other urgent public safety information.
Emergency services officials say tens of thousands of people in these counties could have had their personal information compromised. The CodeRED system collects names, email addresses, and phone numbers from residents who sign up to receive alerts.
“This is not a local issue. Multiple counties. States are involved. If you’re a CodeRED user, you’ve been impacted by this,” Chuck White, Emergency Services Director in Camden County, said. “We’ve obviously taken a little bit of a hit. Some of that is coming back online, but it’s still an issue for us to deal with.”
For now, Glynn and Camden counties are working with state resources to push out critical emergency alerts while CodeRED works to fully restore service. “CodeRED has restored some of the service back to us, so we have a little bit back with us,” White added. “But we want people to know that we can reach out and inform them when we need to.”
The incident highlights a broader reality about cybersecurity. “This just shows that no system is bulletproof,” Philipp Graves, a cybersecurity expert with Antisyn, said. “Anything can be compromised. It’s not a question of if but when, and people just need to be more cautious.”
Graves warned that compromised information could make users vulnerable to scams. “Always be on alert. You’ll get text messages or emails, or scams, and this will probably drive more scams. Anytime you get a message, whether it’s an email or a text, think before you click that link or give anyone information,” he said. He also emphasized the importance of using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication to protect other accounts.
The owner of CodeRED, Crisis24, said it has restored data going back to March of this year. County leaders are urging anyone with a CodeRED account to change their password immediately. Camden officials stress that the breach is isolated to CodeRED and that no other municipal or county systems have been affected.
Residents who rely on CodeRED for emergency updates are encouraged to monitor the situation closely and take proactive steps to protect their personal information.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.