London council officials have been warned of a “significant and immediate threat” after a reported cyber attack on multiple local authorities in the capital.
Staff at Hackney Council in East London were sent an urgent communication on Tuesday morning (November 25), warning them against phishing and social engineering attack methods.
A missive, seen by MyLondon, 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 in the borough have been reminded not to open suspicious emails, click on unusual links, or verify unusual requests, and have been asked to report anything immediately as “speed is critical” in containing a breach.
At 7am on Tuesday, Westminster City Council wrote on X to say there is an issue with the IT system affecting online services for residents. MyLondon has since seen an internal memo confirming the IT system was shut down as a precautionary measure due to a cyber security incident.
This is a breaking news story… we will update you with more information as it comes.
