In February 2020, Redcar and Cleveland Council was hit by a devastating cyber-attack that compromised its entire IT system after a malicious email attachment was activated. The attack led to significant disruption of essential services, including social services and waste collection, prompting immediate responses from council leaders. Concerns about the threat of concurrent cyber-attacks on public services have been raised, emphasizing the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures to prevent life-altering repercussions for communities.
I got a phone call to say: we've been hit. The destruction of our systems was total.
Ciaran Martin, said his biggest cyber-security worry was the threat of simultaneous attacks on public services, like councils and hospitals, which had the potential to wreck lives.
In the days before Saturday 8 February 2020, an email with a seemingly innocuous attachment arrived in a council inbox. Hidden inside was a piece of malicious software.
There wasn't a lot we could do, Mrs Lanigan said about efforts to stop the virus. You had to be practical.
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