Description

Oxford City Council has confirmed that it was the victim of a sophisticated cyberattack, which saw employees' personal information, especially those who have participated in council-conducted elections from 2001 to 2022, exposed. The breach was discovered last week when automated security measures detected an unauthorised entity on the council's network. The systems acted fast, dislodging the intruder and restricting access to sensitive information. As a precautionary measure, the council shut down its key systems in order to carry out an investigation with assistance from external cybersecurity specialists, and this resulted in temporary service interruptions. The investigation showed that attackers broke into historic information that was saved on old systems. Those most likely to be affected are existing and former council employees, particularly those who were involved in local elections as poll staff or ballot counters. Although no proof has been uncovered of data being transferred to third parties or bulk-extracted, the council is contacting directly affected individuals. They are being given advice and assistance, and steps are being implemented to improve data security in the future. The majority of the council's online services are operational again, with just a few still under final tests. A spokesperson assured the public that existing email systems and online platforms are secure. The council is deeply regretful about the breach and reaffirmed that it is devoted to safeguarding sensitive information. Authorities and law enforcement have been informed, and the investigation is ongoing to ascertain the extent of the incident. Residents and staff are cautioned to remain vigilant and inform the relevant authorities of any suspicious activity concerning their personal information.