Emergency communications on South Shore targeted by cyber attack

Local News

Investigators discovered the attack came from a form of malware that originated with a group with ties to Russia. 

The South Shore Regional Emergency Communications Center was targeted in a cyber attack on Saturday, the center announced via a press release. 

Staff at the center, which is located in Hingham and serves the towns of Cohasset, Hingham, Hull, and Norwell, noticed “significant issues” with its dispatch software around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, the release from the center states.

SSRECC managers contacted its software vendors and the vendors discovered the dispatch was unusable due to an “intentional act,” the release states.

Despite the dispatch software not working, 911 emergency services were not disrupted and the center says its emergency response times were not delayed. While the system was down, “dispatchers relied on traditional, manual methods of emergency dispatch,” according to the statement.

Investigators say they discovered the attack came from a relatively new but still common form of malware that originated from a group with ties to Russia.

It is unknown if the attack revealed any confidential information at this time. 

The investigation into the cyber attack remains ongoing with Norwell Police Department, Mass. State Police, and the FBI.