Cyberattack Disrupts Services Across London Councils

Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, and Hammersmith & Fulham councils have triggered their emergency response plans.

Three London councils, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, and Hammersmith and Fulham, have activated emergency response plans after a cyberattack that hit their shared IT systems.

The incident was first detected on Nov. 24 and has since caused phone line disruptions, service delays, and precautionary shutdowns of several systems across the councils.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) warned residents that some pages on its website may be unavailable throughout the day as technicians work on security fixes. It also noted that teams are monitoring phones and emails more closely, saying, “We’ve activated business continuity and emergency plans to ensure we are still delivering critical services to residents, focusing on supporting the most vulnerable.”

Westminster City Council similarly acknowledged disruption, writing, “We know a number of systems remain ...