At least two Cape Cod Municipal authorities were victims of technological breaches in a week, according to municipal officials.
On January 13, the Town of Eastham issued a statement that a “cybersecurity incident” had targeted the organizationtelling the community: “If you have received an email appearing to be from City Manager Jacqui Beebe, please DO NOT open any links or attachments in the email and delete it immediately.”
Cybersecurity is the art of protecting networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access or criminal use and the practice of ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Town of Eastham said there is currently no evidence that any personal or sensitive information was compromised.
Earlier in the week, the City of Bourne and the Bourne Police Department released a joint statement that “the City’s computer network was compromised” on January 11. Police have opened a criminal investigation into the cause of the breach and what was compromised.
According to the press release, all police departments remained fully functional and the city’s telephone and electronic systems were not affected.
Desiree Nikfardjam is a journalist who covers news and trends. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. You can reach her at Dnikfardjam@gannett.com.
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