Alabama’s Morgan County 911 Hit by Cyberattack, Admin Systems Disrupted

A cybersecurity incident on May 14, 2025, disrupted administrative systems at the Morgan County 911 center in Decatur, Alabama. While critical dispatch services—including call history, CAD systems, and radio communications—remained operational, authorities severed network connections between Morgan County 911 and the Sheriff’s Office to prevent the issue from spreading. This precaution disabled the Inmate Roster and mobile dispatch visibility for remote units. The Sheriff's Office is providing daily arrest updates until full functionality is restored.

Director Jeanie Pharis stated that the attack did not affect emergency operations and that the agency was already in the process of upgrading its cybersecurity prior to the breach. In response to the incident, those security improvements were fast-tracked. No threat actor has claimed responsibility, and officials have not disclosed the nature of the breach. The incident reflects growing cybersecurity risks facing local emergency agencies and highlights the critical need for resilient infrastructure.