Cyber attack forces council staff out of offices

"The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) in west London has advised staff to work away from council offices following a cyber attack."

"It is understood that the same incident, which is being investigated by the National Crime Agency and GCHQ's Cyber Security Centre, has also affected Westminster City Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Council as part of "joint arrangements"."

""Attackers will frequently use publicity around attacks to further target victims, so any correspondence around the incident should be treated with caution.""

"Mr Webb, principal consultant at Acumen Cyber, told the BBC it was "essential" that the organisation behind the affected systems was identified so "its other customers can take action to protect their systems"."

RBKC advised staff to work away from council offices after a cyber attack and activated emergency plans to maintain critical services. The same incident affected Westminster City Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Council under joint arrangements and is under investigation by the National Crime Agency and GCHQ's Cyber Security Centre. Parts of RBKC networks remain closed as a precaution, with staff allowed guest Wi‑Fi and mobile hotspots while a full return of systems is not expected for some days. The Information Commissioner's Office has been informed. There is a possibility personal data may have been compromised, and residents should treat related correspondence with caution.

Read at www.bbc.com