Portsmouth City Council's website downed by DDoS attack that struck multiple Council websites

Portsmouth City Council said it experienced a major cyber security incident that targeted its website and rendered it inoperative for an extended period of time.

 

In a press release on November 1, the council said that it suffered a significant distributed denial-of-service attack conducted by a cyber criminal group named NoName057(16).

 

“The attack is bombarding the council’s website with an unmanageable amount of visits, meaning it is not operating properly for others trying to use it. No other council systems are affected, however the website may be affected for an unknown period,” reads the press release.

 

Council authorities added that though residents may face issues accessing the main website, they can make payments and access online services via the domain my.portsmouth.gov.uk/MyServices. It has also provided phone numbers and email addresses of council departments where residents can call and get their issues resolved.

 

In a statement, leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Steve Pitt, said, “We discovered issues with the website early this morning, and we have since confirmed that it is as a result of the attack that has affected other councils up and down the country.

 

“I’d like to reassure residents that it is only access to the website being affected, and our teams are working hard to resume normal service as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience.

 

“Staff are still available and ready to help with any queries during normal working hours. For those needing to contact the council, there are still a range of options available including telephone and email,” he added.

 

The NoName hacker group has claimed responsibility for launching DDoS attacks on multiple other councils, including Lewes Town Council, Medway Council, South West Council, Plymouth City Council, Exeter City Council, and Burnley Borough Council.

 

 

In fact, the BBC reported that several other councils, including Middlesbrough, Salford, Bury and Trafford, also reported suffering DDoS attacks that knocked off their main websites.

 

A National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) spokesperson said that the organisation is providing guidance to affected councils.

 

In a statement shared with the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the spokesperson added, “Whilst DDoS attacks are relatively low in sophistication and impact, they can cause disruption by preventing legitimate users from accessing online services.”