Three London councils have reported a cyber-attack, prompting emergency plans and an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into potential data compromise. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and Westminster City Council, which share some IT infrastructure, confirmed that several systems, including phone lines, were affected. Both councils shut down computerised systems as a precaution.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) stated that the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham also reported an attack. Together, the three authorities provide services for over half a million Londoners. RBKC said it had identified the cause of the incident on Wednesday but declined further details due to the involvement of the NCA and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Engineers at RBKC worked through Monday night and Tuesday to address the issue. Services such as checking council tax bills and paying parking fines are likely to be limited, with the council's website expected to fluctuate as security fixes are applied. RBKC stated it had invoked business continuity and emergency plans to maintain critical services, focusing on supporting vulnerable residents.
Westminster City Council apologised for any inconvenience and warned of possible delays in responses and services over the coming days. The incident, detected on Monday morning, has raised concerns among other councils. Hackney Council, which experienced a ransomware attack in 2020, alerted staff to intelligence that multiple London councils had been targeted in the last 24-48 hours.
