London Councils Shut IT Systems After Cyberattack

Multiple London councils, including the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council, shut down their IT systems and activated emergency plans on Tuesday in response to a cyberattack detected the previous day. The incident, which also appears to have affected Hammersmith and Fulham Council through shared infrastructure, disrupted phone lines and online services for hundreds of thousands of residents across the boroughs.

The attack was identified on Monday morning, prompting immediate action from the affected authorities. Officials at Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster, which jointly manage certain IT systems, confirmed that a number of networks had been compromised. As a precaution, they isolated affected systems to prevent further damage and limit any potential spread. Phone lines were taken offline, and alternative contact methods were provided for emergencies. Hammersmith and Fulham reported similar issues on its website, though specific details remain limited.

Investigators have established the cause of the breach but are withholding further information due to an ongoing probe involving U.K. law enforcement agencies. The councils notified the...