Kent council’s online services held hostage by cyber attackers

TLDR:

– Cyber attacks have disrupted online services for three councils in Kent.

– Canterbury City Council and Dover District Council are investigating “incidents”, while Thanet District Council has received reports of a “potential security incident”.

– Access to parts of each council’s website may have been impacted as a result of precautions taken after the attacks.

– The councils are working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to investigate the cyber attacks.

– A number of councils in the UK have faced cyber attacks in recent years, highlighting the ongoing threat to local government systems.

Three councils in Kent, England, have experienced cyber attacks, resulting in disruptions to their online services. Canterbury City Council and Dover District Council are investigating the incidents, while Thanet District Council has received reports of a potential security incident. As a precautionary measure, these councils have limited access to some of their online systems, which may affect certain services that they provide.

The affected councils are working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to understand the nature and extent of the cyber attacks. The NCSC has defined cyber incidents as breaches of a system’s security policy in line with the Computer Misuse Act. Although the email systems and websites of the councils have remained available, certain parts of the websites may not function as intended.

Cyber attacks on local councils are becoming increasingly common, with several councils in the UK experiencing similar incidents in recent years. Redcar and Cleveland Council admitted that a cyber attack in 2020 cost them over £7 million, while Oldham Council reported fighting off 10,000 attacks a day last year. These incidents highlight the ongoing threat to local government systems and the need for robust cybersecurity measures.