Response to Information Commissioner's Office cyberattack investigation

Hackney Council's response to the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) findings following its investigation into the October 2020 cyberattack on the Council: 

Residents or businesses with concerns about the cyberattack can contact: cyberdataenquiries@hackney.gov.uk.

While we welcome the ICO completing its investigation, we maintain that the Council has not breached its security obligations. We consider that the ICO has misunderstood the facts and misapplied the law with respect to the issues in question, and has mischaracterised and exaggerated the risk to residents’ data.

However, we do not believe it is in our residents’ interests to use our limited resources to challenge the ICO’s decision. Instead, we will continue to work closely with the National Cyber Security Centre, central Government and colleagues across local government and the wider public sector to play our part in defending public services against the ever increasing threats of cyberattack and to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of our residents.

Modern IT systems are extremely complex and cyber threats continue to grow. Since 2020, organisations of all sizes in the public and private sector have fallen victim to criminals deploying ever more complex and sophisticated modes of cyberattack. To meet this rapidly changing threat, we have been investing and rebuilding our systems to further accelerate the delivery of our strategy of using the most modern and secure systems possible.

We have worked closely with the National Cyber Security Centre, National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police to identify, contact and help those who were significantly affected by the cyberattack, and the ICO has recognised our robust and transparent response.

A spokesperson for Hackney Council

This was a deplorable attack by sophisticated, organised cyber criminals, coming at a time when we were responding to the first wave of the covid pandemic. 

While we do not agree with all the ICO’s findings, the completion of the investigation means we can focus on our ongoing efforts to keep data secure and deliver the vital services that our residents rely on.

We deeply regret the impact that this senseless criminal attack had on Hackney residents and businesses, and I am grateful to council staff who continued delivering for our communities despite the challenges, and to our residents for their patience while services were impacted.

Caroline Woodley, Mayor of Hackney