Three London councils have reported a cyber attack, triggering emergency measures and an investigation by the National Crime Agency to determine if any data has been compromised.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster city council, which share some IT systems, confirmed that several services were affected. Phone lines and other digital platforms were disrupted, leading both councils to shut down parts of their infrastructure as a precaution.
The Information Commissioner’s Office also confirmed that the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham had reported an attack. Together, the three councils provide essential services to more than half a million residents.
Kensington and Chelsea stated that it had identified the cause of the incident but could not share further details due to the ongoing investigation by national agencies, including the National Cyber Security Centre.
The incident took place on Monday, and engineers at Kensington and Chelsea worked through the night to contain the impact. Services such as checking council tax bills and paying parking fines are expected to be limited. The council also warned that its website may go up and down as security updates continue.
In an official statement, the council said: “We do not have all the answers yet, as the management of this incident is still ongoing. But we know people will have concerns, so we will be updating residents and partners further over the coming days. At this stage it is too early to say who did this, and why, but we are investigating to see if any data has been compromised which is standard practice.”
The councils said they were working closely with cyber security experts and the National Cyber Security Centre to protect and restore systems while keeping critical public services running.
It remains unclear how severely Hammersmith and Fulham has been affected, although it shares some IT systems with the other two councils.
Kensington and Chelsea added that it had activated its business continuity and emergency plans to ensure that essential services, especially for vulnerable residents, continue without interruption.
Westminster city council also issued an apology to residents, stating: “We apologise to residents for any inconvenience and thank them for being flexible and understanding. People may see some delays in responses and the services we provide over the coming days.”
The attack has raised wider concern among other local authorities. Hackney council, which suffered a major ransomware incident in 2020, told its staff that it had received intelligence about multiple London councils potentially being targeted within the last two days.
A former IT director at Hackney said such incidents have a significant impact, describing them as “a genuinely traumatic experience.”
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