Three councils in London have experienced cyberattacks, leading to the activation of emergency plans to determine if any data was compromised.

The Royal Boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, which share portions of their IT infrastructure, along with Westminster City Council, reported that several systems, including telephone communications, were impacted across both councils. As a precaution, the city council disabled several computer systems to prevent additional harm.

The Information Commissioner’s Office confirmed that the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham also reported being affected by the attack. Collectively, these three councils serve over 500,000 residents in London. In 2020, Hackney City Council was hit by a ransomware attack that encrypted 440,000 files, leading to disciplinary measures from the ICO.

Engineers from RBKC worked tirelessly through Monday and Tuesday to address the incident. They noted that services such as checking council tax bills and paying parking fines could face restrictions, and the website might be temporarily suspended on Wednesday while security measures are implemented.

In a statement from the council, it was mentioned: “We do not have all the answers yet, as we are still managing this incident. However, we are aware that there are concerns among the public, and we will provide updates to our residents and partners in the coming days. At this point, it is too early to determine the perpetrator or motive, but we are investigating whether any data may have been compromised. This is standard procedure.”

The agency and the City of Westminster have stated they are collaborating with cyber incident specialists and the National Cyber Security Center, focusing on safeguarding systems and data, restoring systems, and sustaining essential public services.

These boroughs share some IT resources with Hammersmith and Fulham, and it remains unclear how significantly they were impacted.

RBKC added: “We have activated our business continuity and emergency protocols to ensure that we can continue providing vital services to our residents, especially for the most vulnerable.”

Westminster City Council shared in a statement: “We apologize for any inconvenience to our residents and appreciate your patience and understanding. There may be delays in our responses and services over the coming days. We are committed to working closely with our cyber experts and the NCSC to restore all systems promptly. We will inform you as soon as more details become available, and we strive to keep you updated on any service changes.”

The incident was identified on Monday morning, raising concerns in other councils. Hackney, located in east London and previously affected by a land survey, housing, and planning services disruption in 2020, stated to its staff: “We have received reports that several London councils have been targeted by cyber-attacks in the last 24 to 48 hours, which could cause disruptions to their systems and services.”

Rob Miller, former IT director at Hackney City Council and now senior director at consultancy Public Digital, remarked: “When such an event occurs, you feel an immediate sense of dread as you realize the challenges in getting everything back on track. It’s an incredibly distressing experience.”