London’s Hackney Council hit by serious cyberattack

A cyberattack described as “serious” is affecting many of Hackney Council’s services and IT systems.

The investigation is at an early stage and council officers are working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), external experts and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to assess the impact of the incident.

Philip Glanville, Mayor of Hackney, said: “Our focus is on continuing to deliver essential frontline services, especially to our most vulnerable residents, and protecting data, while restoring affected services as soon as possible.”

For the time being, some council services are unavailable or slower than normal, and the council’s call centre is seeing high volumes.

Growing challenge

Cyber threats are a growing problem for local authorities in the UK and elsewhere, and the risks are even higher as cities battle COVID-19.

In recent years, US cities including New Orleans, Baltimore and Atlanta have faced major cyberattacks, as well as smaller municipalities such as Riviera Beach and New Bedford.

In the UK, a February attack on Redcar and Cleveland’s systems is estimated to have cost more than £10 million (US$12.9 million).

In the first half of 2019, local councils in the UK faced 263 million cyberattacks and the government sector was found to be the sixth-most targeted sector in the IBM X -Force Threat Intelligence Index, 2020.

“Municipal governments have particularly come under attack in recent years, as cybercriminals seek to collect extortion money from organizations that are less likely to be as secure as those in the private sector,” the Index  report states.