Councils in the UK are particularly exposed to cyber-attacks, creating dangerous implications for citizens, experts have warned following breaches at several London authorities.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council and potentially other London councils were disrupted over the past few days, with the authorities believed to have been targeted in cyber-attacks.
The disruption at the London councils marks the latest in a string of breaches that have affected businesses, public services and increasingly local government.
Councils will continue to suffer from frequent cyber-attacks if they remain in their current vulnerable state, according to ESET’s global cybersecurity advisor Jake Moore.
“Councils frequently suffer from a lack in funding which can result in weaker protection and the use older systems, inadvertently making them susceptible to cyberattacks such as this,” said Moore.
“This latest disruption highlights the critical need for more effective and sturdy backup systems as well as better resilience and education in place.
“There are now endless examples of other councils being attacked in similar ways and often there can be weeks of disruption in the wake of an attack causing havoc to the wider community. In this occasion, those affected will also need to remain vigilant to any follow up phishing attempts requesting further personal information.”
This latest high-profile attack has prompted calls for greater action, with Martin Greenfield, chief executive of Quod Orbis urging “greater collaboration between the government,vendors and experts”.
He said: “These councils hold deeply personal and sensitive data on thousands of residents and power essential public services across health, housing, social care and more.
“Technology can help, but people remain at the heart of defending against such threats, so those people need clear oversight, automation to reduce noise, and remediation frameworks that are robust and responsive.
“Without a cohesive national plan that brings together government, industry leaders and security experts, the UK risks a patchwork of weak defences, one that a determined attacker could exploit to bring multiple public services to their knees.”
