Bucks County emergency dispatch system working again after cyberattack
BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- The Bucks County emergency dispatch system is working again after a cyberattack led to a nine-day outage, the county shared in a release.
County officials said the main part of the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system was restored Tuesday after a ransomware group took the system fully offline on Jan. 21.
This incident comes after the county renovated its emergency operation center last year, including upgrades to security systems.
The CAD system helps dispatchers and first responders electronically document calls. While the system was offline, dispatchers relied on backup systems to document and dispatch calls for service, the release said.
However, at no point during the offline period were the Bucks County 911 call acceptance abilities interrupted.
The county's connectivity to state and federal databases containing criminal justice information was also restored, the release said.
Officials will continue to monitor the system for any threats or tech issues while their Emergency Communications and Information Technology departments work to fully restore the CAD.
Bucks County officials said they want to make sure the system is safe to use before bringing it fully back online.