Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise indicated.
Thursday, Jan. 23
- Nauset Regional School District Budget Subcommittee, 8 a.m., Nauset Admin. Office
- Council on Aging Board of Directors, 9 a.m.
- Nauset Regional School Committee, 6:30 p.m., Nauset Middle School or online
Monday, Jan. 27
- Search Committee, 10 a.m.
- Visitors Tourism and Promotion Services Board, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28
- Conservation Commission on-site, 8:15 a.m.
- Conservation Commission, 5:30 p.m.
- Recycling Committee, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 29
- Finance Committee, 5 p.m.
- Human Services Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 30
- Board of Health, 3 p.m.
Conversation Starter
Hacking Incident
The town posted a “news flash” on its website on Jan. 13 with the headline: “Important Alert: Cybersecurity Incident Identified.” It advised that anyone who had received an email appearing to be sent by Town Manager Jacqui Beebe should not open any links or attachments in the email and should delete it immediately.
“At this time,” the alert said, “we have no evidence to suggest that any personal or sensitive information has been accessed or compromised.”
According to Beebe, who called the hack “sophisticated,” many of her contacts in the police and fire depts. received phishing emails sent from her account, as did government officials she’d never directly emailed before. The emails looked like official town correspondence and included a link to an attached file.
The phishing email was “very convincing,” said Beebe. “If I had received this email, I would have fallen for it.”
Beebe said she received messages from contacts telling her they had clicked on the link but could not open the file — it did not lead to a spoofed website. Still, the town’s alert advises those who clicked on the link to change their passwords, monitor their accounts for unusual activity, and use two-factor authentication.
The town is working with cybersecurity experts to investigate and resolve the issue. “This incident underscores the need for ongoing vigilance and community awareness,” the town advised.
For now, Beebe said, she has a new email address and a new password. —Dorothea Samaha
