Cyber Incident Victim: Bucks County Emergency Communications Department
Date:
Jan 2024
Location:
United States of America
Summary
A cyberattack disrupted the computer-aided dispatch system used by Bucks County's emergency communications department, causing an extended outage that eliminated automated services and prevented law enforcement from accessing critical state and national crime databases. While 911 call-taking and dispatch operations remained functional using phone and radio communications, the incident impacted documentation workflows and responder coordination tools. The county is collaborating with state and federal agencies alongside cybersecurity professionals to investigate the breach and restore systems, though no recovery timeline has been established. Officials confirmed emergency response capabilities were unaffected and reiterated public safety services continue without interruption.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On January 21, 2024, Bucks County Emergency Communications Department experienced a cybersecurity incident that disrupted its computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system starting Sunday afternoon. The outage persisted through at least Tuesday with no projected restoration timeframe, forcing first responders to rely on manual phone and radio communications for dispatch coordination. While 911 call reception and emergency response dispatching remained fully operational, the disabled CAD system eliminated automated incident documentation capabilities and blocked law enforcement access to critical databases including the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network (CLEAN) and National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The CAD platform, described by the Department of Homeland Security as essential for prioritizing calls, tracking responder locations, and managing personnel deployments, normally provides dispatchers and 911 operators with integrated incident management tools. County officials confirmed the cyberattack exclusively affected CAD infrastructure without compromising telephony systems or radio networks used for emergency communications.
Bucks County immediately engaged state and federal partner agencies to investigate the incident while county IT personnel worked to restore systems. Emergency Services Director Audrey Kenny publicly assured residents that 911 services maintained normal operations despite the CAD outage, emphasizing that call processing and responder dispatch experienced no delays. The county retained unspecified incident response professionals to assist forensic efforts and committed to providing public updates as recovery progressed. No operational workarounds were implemented for the CAD system's database access functions, leaving manual documentation processes in place indefinitely. The disruption highlighted the CAD system's role in supporting secondary law enforcement functions rather than core emergency call handling, though prolonged unavailability risked accumulating administrative backlogs in incident reporting and record-keeping. County representatives maintained contact with media through designated spokesperson James O'Malley but disclosed no details regarding attack vectors, threat actors, or data compromise.