Hackney council hit by cyber-attack

Hackney council were hit yesterday by a cyber-attack which forced their IT and numerous customer-services based systems offline. 

Officials at the east London council labelled their investigation as ongoing and are yet to release any further details, although they have described the incident as a ‘’serious cyber-attack’’. 

Philip Glanville, Mayor of Hackney said: “Council officers have been working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre, external experts, Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to investigate and understand the impact of the incident.”

Many online council services used by locals are currently unavailable. Residents and businesses are being urged to only contact the council if it is “absolutely necessary” as they continue to work on resolving the issue. 

Locals are being encouraged to contact Hackney council with any queries or questions they may have, whilst their websites remain down.

Hackney council have also reported people may experience difficulty accessing its ‘One Account’ the online portal-paying system used by residents. 

In light of these events, locals are being urged to refrain from entering payment card or bank details into the Hackney council website. Hackney council have also advised that any emails, links, or open attachments should not be opened until any further notice.

Glanville added: “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,” adding that the public should ‘bear with us’ whilst they seek to resolve the issue. 

Leave a Reply