Peabody Residents Alerted to Data Breach, Cybersecurity Expert Warns Cities are "Treasure Trove" for Hackers

Mayor's office says hacker gained access to city systems in June 2025, investigation ongoing

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The city of Peabody, Massachusetts has alerted residents that their personal information may have been compromised in a data breach that occurred last summer. The mayor's office says a hacker gained access to the city's systems on June 13, 2025 and began copying files, though the breach wasn't discovered until July 7. A cybersecurity expert warns that cities and towns are a "treasure trove" for hackers due to budget constraints and less robust security compared to large private companies.

Why it matters

Data breaches of government systems can expose sensitive personal information of residents, leading to potential identity theft and fraud. This incident highlights the cybersecurity challenges facing local municipalities with limited resources to defend against sophisticated hacking attempts.

The details

According to the mayor's office, the Peabody data breach was discovered on July 7, 2025, nearly a month after the hacker first gained access on June 13. The city has begun notifying affected residents and is reviewing its policies, procedures and technical safeguards to improve security moving forward. Cybersecurity expert Peter Tran says cities and towns are attractive targets for hackers due to "budgetary constraints" that force them to "do more with less" in terms of cybersecurity compared to large private companies.

  • The data breach was discovered on July 7, 2025.
  • The hacker first gained access to Peabody's systems on June 13, 2025.

The players

Peabody

The city of Peabody, Massachusetts, which was the target of a data breach that exposed residents' personal information.

Ted Bettencourt

The mayor of Peabody, whose office posted on social media about the data breach and the city's investigation.

Peter Tran

A cybersecurity expert with Infersight who warns that cities and towns are a "treasure trove" for hackers due to budget constraints and less robust security compared to large private companies.

Skip O'Neil

A Peabody resident who received a letter about the data breach and took steps to protect his information, such as checking his credit and bank accounts.

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What they’re saying

“Typically, because of budgetary constraints you would see a local, state or federal government have to do more with less.”

— Peter Tran, Cybersecurity Expert, Infersight (cbsnews.com)

“I just called my bank, checked my credit card statements, just the normal things. My mortgage is fine. Those types of things, it took me an hour.”

— Skip O'Neil (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

The city of Peabody is currently reviewing its policies, procedures and technical safeguards to improve cybersecurity and prevent future data breaches.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the cybersecurity challenges facing local municipalities with limited resources, as hackers view cities and towns as a "treasure trove" of valuable personal information. Residents affected by the breach are urged to take proactive steps to protect their identity and finances, such as freezing their credit, setting up fraud alerts, and closely monitoring their accounts.