Hackney Council buys new IT system to handle cyber incident-related housing backlogs

Hackney Council said that it has brought in a new housing management system that helps local authorities to manage housing related concerns following a devastating cyber attack it suffered in 2020.

 

In 2020, Hackney council suffered a significant cyber security incident that compromised the sensitive personal information of Council residents. Philip Glanville, the then mayor of the council, said the Council worked with experts from the National Cyber Security Centre, external experts, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to investigate and understand the impact of the incident.

 

In July, the Information Commissioner’s Office said that its investigation into the data security incident suffered by Hackney Council revealed a “lack of proper security and processes to protect personal data.”

 

“LBOH failed to ensure that a security patch management system was actively applied to all devices, and failed to change an insecure password on a dormant account still connected to Hackney council servers which was exploited by the attackers,” the information watchdog said.

 

Stephen Bonner, deputy commissioner of the ICO, termed Hackney Council’s data security failings a “clear and avoidable error.”

 

He said the incident resulted in a “mass loss of data and has had a severely detrimental impact on many residents. At its absolute worst, this has meant that some of the most deeply personal information possible has ended up in the hands of the attackers. Systems that people rely on were offline for many months. This is entirely unacceptable and should not have happened.”

 

Recently, the Hackney Citizen reported that the Council has confirmed it has signed a new contract to acquire a new housing management system on December 17, that will be implemented in January, to help address the ongoing fallout of the “devastating” data security incident.

 

“This follows a thorough review of available options, and negotiations to secure the best value for money for Hackney. Benefits to the council’s operations will be realised in due course,” the Council added.

 

According to BBC, the housing management system may help manage long waiting lists for housing which peaked at over 20 years when Hackney Council suffered the double whammy of a housing crisis as well as a major cyber security incident.

 

The publication said Hackney Council spent £344,000 since 2020 to hire more staff to handle backlogs in the aftermath of the cyber incident, and another £413,000 on IT consultants with expertise in cyber security.