Multiple London councils were hit with cyber attacks this week, prompting the National Crime Agency and GCHQ’s Cyber Security Centre to launch an emergency investigation.
It’s not yet known who was behind the attack, what the motive was, or if data has been compromised. However, Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point, said the situation had "all the signs of a serious intrusion".
Meanwhile, cyber-security expert Nathan Webb told the BBC there was a "possibility personal data may have been compromised", urging residents in the affected boroughs to be cautious.
He added: "Attackers will frequently use publicity around attacks to further target victims, so any correspondence around the incident should be treated with caution."
Which London boroughs had cyber attacks?
It is understood that The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), Westminster City Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Council were impacted by the attack as part of a “joint arrangements”.
What has happened since?
RBKC said in a statement that it had informed the Information Commissioner's Office.
An internal RBKC memo, reviewed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), indicates that the council is keeping parts of its networks shut as a "precautionary measure".
The note says staff can continue accessing the guest wi-fi or mobile hotspots in its offices, but the affected systems may not return to normal “for some days”.
It urged staff to “remain vigilant”. Other London councils have been encouraged to advise staff not to open suspicious emails, click on unexpected links in emails or verify unusual requests.
RBKC said: "We don't have all the answers yet, as the management of this incident is still ongoing."
It added: "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.
"Our IT teams worked through the night yesterday and a number of successful mitigations were put in place, and we remain vigilant should there be any further incidents or issues."
A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesman said: “We identified the issue quickly on Monday and are working with cyber specialists and the National Cyber Security Centre to protect data and restore services.
“We’ve activated business continuity and emergency plans to ensure we are still delivering critical services to residents, focusing on supporting the most vulnerable.
“We are investigating the cause of the incident and will provide more information when it is available. We would like to apologise for any disruption and thank residents for their patience as we work to bring systems back online safely.”
