Cyberattack Disrupts Emergency Communications in Central Massachusetts Towns A coordinated cyberattack targeted public safety systems in at least five towns in Central Massachusetts this week, disrupting non-emergency phone lines for police, fire, and emergency medical services. The incident was detected early Tuesday morning in Pepperell, where officials immediately alerted law enforcement, cybersecurity firms, and their insurance provider. The attack affected the Patriot Regional Emergency Communications Center, which serves Pepperell, Townsend, Groton, Dunstable, and Ashby. While 911 services remained operational, non-emergency lines experienced outages, with Townsend restoring full service shortly after. Groton’s IT administrator, Mike Chiasson, noted that the communications center may have been deliberately targeted or inadvertently compromised while other town systems remained isolated. State and federal authorities are investigating the attack’s origin and scope, though no evidence suggests private user data has been exposed. Pepperell Town Administrator Andrew MacLean confirmed that third-party cybersecurity experts are assisting in mitigation efforts. The incident follows a pattern of recent cyber threats in the region, including a November 2023 FBI alert about foreign hackers breaching Littleton’s network later highlighted in a 60 Minutes report on alleged Chinese cyber espionage. In August, a South Shore dispatch center was targeted by Russian hackers, and last month, an Iranian-linked group attacked a U.S. medical supplier, prompting hospital security warnings. As of Wednesday, the source of the attack remains unidentified, with investigators working to determine the nature of the breach and any potential data compromise.