Brazos County has issued a statement that its code red emergency notification system has been affected by a data breach where user data was stolen and may have been leaked.
The county’s statement also says it is unclear if the breach impacted only the county and others who manage code red systems or if this also includes everyone who registered.
County officials are in the process of replacing who will provide alerts. Until then, those who want to continue receiving code red notifications are advised to change their passwords.
As of December 12, there is no information on the Code Red website, the website of the parent company that owns the notification software, or their social media.
News release from Brazos County:
The Brazos County Emergency Management Department has been notified of a data breach of its CodeRED emergency notification platform. User data was stolen and may be leaked. It is unclear if this user data refers to only users who manage CodeRED systems or if it includes all members of the public who signed up for CodeRED notifications.
In an abundance of caution, Brazos County Emergency Management officials want to make the public aware that personal information used in the process of signing up for CodeRED may have been compromised. Such information may include name, address, email, phone number, and passwords associated with CodeRED accounts. If anyone used the same password for any other accounts, they should change those passwords immediately.
Brazos County Emergency Management is working with County Purchasing to secure a replacement system. In the meantime, IPAWS alerts and local contingency plans will continue to be utilized in case of an emergency. To receive these alerts, users should verify that the Emergency Alert settings for their cellular devices are “on” or set to allow notifications.
There is no evidence the stolen data has been published at this time.
Questions or concerns regarding CodeRED can be sent to crsupport@crisis24.com.