Beltrami County Ends CodeRED After Vendor Cyberattack, Notifies Residents

Beltrami County officials announced on November 24, 2025 that the county had decommissioned its CodeRED emergency notification platform operated by OnSolve following a vendor level cyber attack and data breach. County emergency management director Christopher Muller said no other county infrastructure was affected, and the county release reported by Pioneer Staff advised that compromised data could include contact groups, phone numbers, addresses, emails, usernames and passwords.

The immediate operational impact is tangible for residents who relied on CodeRED phone notifications. With the platform offline the county will publish alerts through the Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management Facebook pages, on the county website and via the Emergency Alert System. County officials stated that automated phone call notifications are not currently available, and that wireless alerts pushed through the state may be delayed.

County leaders advised residents who used CodeRED accounts to change passwords and to ignore any messages purporting to come from CodeRED on behalf of the county. Officials are evaluating alternative notification systems after 12 years of using CodeRED, and the county release indicated plans to assess options for restoring reliable emergency communications.

The disruption underscores broader institutional and policy questions for local government. Dependence on a single commercial vendor exposed the county to an external risk that can reduce redundancy in emergency outreach and complicate response for residents without internet access or who are not active on social media. Loss of automated phone notifications raises particular concerns for seniors, people with disabilities and households without reliable broadband, groups that local emergency managers typically prioritize during severe weather and other urgent events.

Moving forward county leaders will need to weigh speed and cost against data security and redundancy. Vendors should be evaluated for cybersecurity practices, contractual clarity on breach notification, and the ability to support alternate contact channels. For residents the practical steps are clear, change passwords for any CodeRED accounts and treat unsolicited messages claiming to be from the county with caution.

The county release and reporting by the Pioneer Staff provided the details on the breach and the interim notification plan as officials consider replacement systems and additional safeguards to protect both communications and personal data.