At least three London councils are responding to an ongoing cyberattack. Officials have shut down their networks and phone lines and have activated emergency plans.
The local government authorities covering the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster are affected. These councils share IT systems as part of a joint arrangement. They said their focus is on protecting systems and data, restoring systems, and maintaining critical services to the public.
Hammersmith and Fulham council is also affected by the cyberattack.
The councils provide public services like housing, social services, and rubbish collection. They did not describe the nature of the cyberattack or blame a particular hacking group. They noted that an investigation into whether data was stolen remains ongoing.
Kensington’s website said the cause of the cyberattack is now established. The council will not be giving out further details of the incident at this stage due to an ongoing investigation with United Kingdom law enforcement agencies.