Cyber-Attack Hits Three Local Authorities in London

(MENAFN) Thousands of residents across west London face heightened security risks after authorities confirmed data theft in a cyber-attack targeting three neighboring local governments.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, serving approximately 147,500 residents, disclosed that attackers successfully extracted information from its computer systems during this week's intrusion.

Council officials indicated the stolen material appears linked to "historical data," though investigations continue into whether compromised files contain personal or financial records of residents, customers, or individuals receiving local services.

"With advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), we are encouraging all residents, customers and service users to be extra vigilant when called, emailed or sent text messages," the council said.

The breach simultaneously struck the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster City Council, and the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

Westminster revealed Friday that the incident crippled shared IT infrastructure connecting all three authorities, including telephone networks, while confirming collaboration with the NCSC to preserve critical public services.

Hammersmith and Fulham announced it was "working around the clock" to rebuild compromised systems.

Borough officials reported coordination with the National Crime Agency, London Metropolitan Police, and NCSC to track down perpetrators. The council anticipates a minimum two-week period of "significant disruption" during system recovery operations.

British public institutions and private enterprises have experienced a dramatic surge in ransomware incidents over recent years.

In 2020, a ransomware assault on Hackney Council locked down 440,000 files, ultimately triggering sanctions from the UK's data protection authority.

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