Calvert County officials are investigating after the county’s Everbridge emergency notification system sent an unauthorized message Wednesday, prompting the sheriff’s office to disable the platform and review access controls.
Officials said the message reached 12,409 subscribers on Oct. 29 and included a cryptocurrency investment link. Residents were urged not to click the link or share personal information. The county said the issue originated within Everbridge’s vendor-managed environment and the affected account has been secured and disabled. The incident appears to be isolated.
Officials reported no direct safety threat to residents. The alert platform, used for emergencies, weather and public safety updates, was temporarily taken offline after the incident.
Similar issues have surfaced elsewhere this year. In May, Indiana said a hacked contractor account tied to its former GovDelivery email service sent phishing messages that looked like state alerts. In July 2024, Ada County, Idaho, took its 911 computer-aided dispatch offline after malware was detected in its emergency communications environment. And in January, Los Angeles County blamed a vendor software glitch for countywide wildfire evacuation warnings that should have been targeted.
The sheriff’s office and Calvert County Technology Services are investigating and assessing system security before restoring full operations.
County authorities said they will share updates once the system is secured and operational. Residents who clicked the link are advised to run a full antivirus scan and monitor their accounts for suspicious activity. Updates will be posted on county channels, including its Cyber Scams page.
The county renewed a multiyear Everbridge contract in August 2025, according to county records.
Maryland agencies have faced other cyber events this year, including an incident at the Maryland Transit Administration involving unauthorized access to certain systems.
Calvert County, whose seat is Prince Frederick, has about 92,000 to 95,000 residents in Southern Maryland along the Chesapeake Bay.
County officials said alerts will resume after security validation and urged the public to follow official channels for updates.
