A cyber attack targeted multiple London councils, with Hackney Borough Council being one of the most severely affected. The breach exposed sensitive resident data, including personal identifiers, financial records, and potentially protected information such as National Insurance numbers, housing details, and social care records. The attack disrupted critical local government services, forcing the council to shut down several online systems to contain the incident. While investigations confirmed unauthorized access to internal networks, the full scope of data exfiltration remains unclear. Residents faced delays in accessing essential services like benefit claims, tax processing, and housing support. The council warned of heightened risks of phishing and identity fraud for affected individuals. Recovery efforts involved forensic analysis, system rebuilds, and coordination with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The incident underscored vulnerabilities in public-sector cybersecurity, raising concerns about broader threats to municipal infrastructure and citizen trust in digital governance.

The services at Hackney Council services remained unavailable after it was attacked by cyber attackers. The council didn't accept new applications to join its housing waiting list, for housing benefits amid the attack. The services like rent and service charges, council tax, and business rate payments remained affected, however, emergency services were still continued.