More than 100,000 households warned after cyber attack council

"Small samples of the data hacked by the criminals shows it is likely to contain sensitive personal information, and residents should be wary of anyone claiming to be a council worker that asks for details. The council shares some of its affected services with Westminster City Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Council which were also impacted. All three are working with the National Cyber Security Centre to track the data."

"As a result, they have written to over 100,000 households with guidance and have warned residents to use the councils published contact routes if they have any concerns. The council's most recent update on its website said officers were planning accordingly and working with law enforcement at every step, and that they did not believe the hackers had succeeded in accessing third-party systems that help provide services."

Hundreds of thousands of residents’ personal data is believed to have been stolen in a cyberattack affecting Kensington and Chelsea council and services shared with Westminster City Council and Hammersmith and Fulham. Households have been warned to be wary of unexpected calls, messages and links because stolen information could make scams seem legitimate. Small samples indicate the data likely contains sensitive personal information, so residents should be cautious of anyone claiming to be a council worker who asks for details. All three councils are working with the National Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement, and over 100,000 households have been notified with advice. Files accessed are being checked and vulnerable individuals prioritised, a process that could take months. Local authorities remain frequent targets because they hold large volumes of personal data.

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