Major Cyber Attack Targets London Councils
Council officials across London are facing a significant and immediate threat following a reported cyber attack targeting multiple local authorities in the capital. The incident, which emerged in the last 24-48 hours, has prompted urgent security measures and warnings to staff.
Critical Threat Level and Urgent Warnings
Internal memos seen by MyLondon confirm that Hackney Council in East London sent an urgent communication to its staff on the morning of Tuesday, November 25. The message warned employees about sophisticated phishing and social engineering attack methods being used by the perpetrators.
The internal missive stated: "We have received intelligence that multiple London Councils have been targeted by cyber-attacks within the last 24-48 hours, with potential disruption to systems and services. We are escalating our internal cyber threat level to Critical. Your immediate cooperation is essential to protect the Council and the data of our residents."
Council workers have been specifically instructed not to open suspicious emails, click on unusual links, or verify unusual requests. They have been asked to report anything suspicious immediately, with the memo emphasising that "speed is critical" in containing any potential breach.
System Shutdowns and Service Disruption
The impact of the cyber attack became publicly visible when Westminster City Council posted on X at 7am on Tuesday to announce issues with its IT system affecting online services for residents.
MyLondon has since confirmed through an internal memo that the IT system at Westminster City Council was shut down as a precautionary measure directly due to the cyber security incident. This proactive step was taken to prevent further compromise of council systems and protect resident data.
The coordinated nature of the attacks suggests a sophisticated operation targeting local government infrastructure across London. Council officials are working to assess the full extent of the breach and restore affected services while maintaining security protocols.
