Scottsboro police said Tuesday they quickly shut down an attempted cybersecurity attack on department servers before records or other sensitive information were accessed or taken.
The announcement matters because police servers can hold reports, photos, videos and identifying information, though officials said they found no evidence any data was exported or compromised. Scottsboro is the Jackson County seat in northeast Alabama, and its police department says it serves about 15,578 residents with 44 sworn officers and 31 civilian employees.
The Scottsboro Police Department described the incident as an attempted cybersecurity attack targeting department servers, according to WAFF, which cited police. The Clarion Newspaper, citing the department, described it as a breach of police servers.
Police said suspicious activity was detected quickly and isolated before encrypted information could be accessed or taken. The department said there was no evidence that identifying information, photographs, videos, reports or other sensitive records were exported or compromised.
No disruption to 911, dispatch, patrol operations, public records access or other police services was reported in the department’s public statements or in WAFF’s report. The department said it is continuing to work with information technology professionals to help secure its systems.
The department has not publicly confirmed ransomware, malware, a threat actor, a ransom demand or data theft. DysruptionHub emailed the Scottsboro Police Department seeking additional comment, but the department has not yet responded.
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The Scottsboro Police website says the department’s public safety role includes protecting life and property and serving residents and visitors in the city.
Other Alabama public agencies have reported more disruptive cyber incidents since last year. Morgan County 911 said a May 2025 cyber issue disrupted administrative systems for several days, though emergency calls, radio communications and dispatch operations were not affected. In Tarrant, officials said a February 2025 ransomware attack began with the police department’s system, led IT contractors to take down a server and temporarily pushed police reports to paper, though the police chief said other essential computer services remained operational.
Officials have not said when the suspicious activity was first detected, what systems were targeted, whether any servers were taken offline, whether outside law enforcement is involved or whether any public-facing service was affected.
The department said it stopped the attack quickly and found no evidence that police records or sensitive information were taken, while the cause and full technical scope remain unclear.
