Executive Summary
- Multiple London councils, including Westminster and Hackney, have been targeted by cyber-attacks in the past 48 hours.
- Westminster City Council shut down all networks as a precautionary measure to secure data.
- Hackney Council raised its cyber threat level to “critical” and warned staff of phishing risks.
- Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed City Hall is working with the National Crime Agency to bolster local government resilience.
Several local government authorities in London, including the councils of Westminster, Hackney, and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC), have reported significant disruptions to their IT systems following a series of cyber-attacks within the last 48 hours. The coordinated security incidents have forced multiple boroughs to trigger emergency protocols and disconnect networks to protect sensitive data.
According to an internal memo cited by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), officials received intelligence indicating that multiple London councils were targeted, resulting in potential disruption to systems and services. The memo emphasized that immediate cooperation from staff was essential to protect the councils and resident data. Westminster City Council confirmed it had shut down its networks as a precautionary measure following the detection of a “cyber-security incident.”
Hackney Council, which is also affected, has raised its cyber security threat level to “critical.” The authority urged staff to remain vigilant against phishing attempts as part of an urgent response to the threat. An RBKC spokesperson stated that the borough is experiencing a “serious IT issue” and is working closely with cyber specialists and Westminster City Council to investigate the cause and restore services. The spokesperson noted that systems have been taken offline to ensure safety while the investigation proceeds.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, addressing the situation, indicated that City Hall is assisting councils in building better cyber-resilience through the London Office of Technology and Innovation and the National Crime Agency. Khan acknowledged the escalating nature of digital threats, stating that while safeguards are being strengthened, attackers are continually evolving their methods to breach protections.
Digital Infrastructure Security
The simultaneous targeting of multiple London boroughs underscores the systemic vulnerability of local government infrastructure to coordinated digital aggression. These incidents highlight the operational necessity of “air-gapping” or severing network connections immediately upon detection to prevent lateral movement of malware across connected municipal systems. As evidenced by the severe 2020 cyber-attack on Hackney Council, which encrypted hundreds of thousands of files, the recovery process for public sector data breaches can be prolonged and resource-intensive. This latest wave of attacks suggests a persistent threat landscape where essential public services remain high-value targets for disruption.
