London councils activate emergency plans after serious cyber attack
London’s Kensington and Chelsea council has activated emergency plans after a cyber attack also hit two neighbouring authorities, forcing systems offline and prompting warnings over possible sensitive data exposure.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has activated emergency response plans after a cyberattack disrupted council systems in west London.
Westminster City Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Council are also affected through joint arrangements, with the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre, led by GCHQ, leading the investigation. Staff in some areas have been advised to work from home while parts of the network stay offline as a precaution.
An internal memo shows that sections of the network remain closed and that a full return of affected systems is not expected for several days. Phone lines and online forms may face disruption, although alternative contact numbers are available on the council website.
Cybersecurity specialist Nathan Webb advised residents to be cautious about emails or calls referencing the incident, as attackers frequently exploit public attention surrounding a breach to launch scams.
He added that identifying any external supplier involved is essential so that other clients can secure their own systems. Forescout expert Rik Ferguson said the case demonstrates how shared digital services can allow a breach to spread risk across multiple organisations.
Councils have praised the overnight work by IT teams, but are not disclosing technical details while the investigation continues.
BBC cyber correspondent Joe Tidy said taking servers offline is an extreme step usually used for significant incidents. He pointed to the Co-op case earlier this year, where the company also disconnected systems, but only after hackers had already taken data from 6.5 million people.
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