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London Councils Shut Systems After Cyber Incident Hits Shared IT Networks

The NCSC-led response prioritizes restoration before confirming any impact on resident data.

Overview

  • Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster detected the incident on Monday and confirmed that shared systems, including phone lines, are affected.
  • Hammersmith and Fulham reported precautionary isolation of connected networks and advised staff to treat messages from partner councils with caution.
  • Westminster shut down its networks as a precaution, with internal memos warning some services may not be restored until the end of the week.
  • The councils notified the Information Commissioner's Office, and the Met’s Cyber Crime Unit opened enquiries following an Action Fraud referral with no arrests reported.
  • Hackney raised its internal cyber threat level to critical and experts warned the pattern points to lateral movement across shared infrastructure, with no attribution or confirmed data theft so far.