Kensington and Chelsea Council has said it believes the breach only impacts historical data
A West London council hit by a cyber attack is investigating a data breach after discovering some information has been copied and taken away.
Kensington and Chelsea Council, which was one of three affected by the incident, said it believes the breach only impacts historical data, understood to be archived 2006-2020 data. However in an online post it adds that while the information has not been stolen “it is possible it could end up in the public domain”.
Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said as soon as she was aware there may have been a breach she asked officers “to make sure we tell people at the earliest possible opportunity”.
Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster City councils were also impacted by the incident earlier this week but have not said any data held by them has been copied. All three local authorities share some IT services and systems with the issue understood to have originated at Kensington and Chelsea.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed that the council had arranged for some staff to work from home as a precautionary measure following Monday’s attack. A memo, seen by the LDRS, asked staff “to remain vigilant and report any unusual or suspicious online activity to Tech Hub immediately”.
Internal correspondence circulated by Hammersmith and Fulham Council on Tuesday morning said the local authority had responded to a “serious cybersecurity incident” but that there was no evidence its systems had been breached.
The incident is being investigated by the National Crime Agency with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) also informed.
Speaking on the confirmation that a data breach was being investigated, Cllr Campbell said: “As soon as I was informed there might be a data breach impacting residents, I asked officers to make sure we tell people at the earliest possible opportunity.
“Even if we do not yet have the full picture of what data has been copied, and whether that does include any personal details, it is the right thing to do. All I know is – as a resident myself – I would want to know this information as soon as possible and then be able to make my own choices, follow advice, and protect myself if I think necessary.”
In an update on its website Hammersmith and Fulham Council has said it was able to isolate and safeguard its network following the cyber attack. The council added that while there is no evidence of its systems being compromised it has temporarily suspended some applications, such as My Account.
The post continues: “Our teams are working around the clock with other experts to review our systems and restore them to business as usual as our highest priority. We will provide further updates as we restore services and our investigations progress. We apologise for the inconvenience.
“We have been informed by the neighbouring council that some archived 2006-2020 data may have been copied but not lost. We are investigating and will update as soon as we know more.”
A note on Westminster City Council’s website states it has temporarily shut down its computer networks as a precaution.
Kensington and Chelsea has said that due to the incident it will be operating its Customer Service Centre at Kensington Town Hall this weekend from 10am to 4pm for emergency in-person queries.
Staff at Hackney Council were also sent an urgent communication on Tuesday morning, warning them against phishing and social engineering attack methods, though the East London council is understood not to have been hit itself.
Council advice for residents
What does this mean if you are a resident or customer?
“If you have bought something from us, for example a parking permit, make sure bank and card details are safe and secure, and be vigilant.
“If you are worried about personal data that is not financial, please follow steps outlined in the advice above, and we will be working hard to contact people if we find anything over the coming days and weeks.
“If you want to talk to us, some of our phone lines and Customer Services Centre are open, but please appreciate we may not have all the answers at this point.
“Please be assured we are only sharing this update to alert people at the first opportunity and to make sure people have the chance to take action themselves.”
The council adds: “We have started to bring systems and services back online with safety and data protection as a top priority. However, we do face at least two weeks of significant disruption, but our council services will continue to run. Our customer services centre is open and will have additional people available to help.”
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