Hackney Council says it has been hit by a “serious cyber attack”, which is affecting many of its services and IT systems.
The council says it is working with the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Ministry of Housing to investigate and understand the impact of the incident.
It is not yet clear what type of cyber attack has hit the council or whether residents’ data has been exposed. Telephone services to the council appear to be running.
In a statement on the council’s public-facing website, which is still up and running, Mayor Philip Glanville said: “Our focus is on continuing to deliver essential frontline services, especially to our most vulnerable residents, and protecting data, while restoring affected services as soon as possible.
“In the meantime, some council services may be unavailable or slower than normal, and our call centre is extremely busy,” he added.
“We ask that residents and businesses only contact us if absolutely necessary, and to bear with us while we seek to resolve these issues.”
Sky News understands that the G-Suite services the council use are still working and staff calling the council’s IT support hotline are being instructed to follow the guidance and information in their inboxes.
A spokesperson for NCSC confirmed that it was “aware of an incident affecting Hackney Borough Council” and said the agency was “supporting the organisation and working with partners to understand the impact of this incident.”
If you would like to contact Alexander Martin, you can reach him securely using the private messaging app Signal on +44 (0)7970 376 704 or at aj.martin@sky.uk