Glasgow services downed and citizen data ‘presumed’ stolen after cyberattack


The local authority for Scotland’s largest city has announced that a breach was first discovered last week, since when numerous services have been impacted, including parking, registration and refuse platforms

Glasgow City Council has revealed customer data may have been stolen following a cyber incident that has disrupted several online services.

The council first knew of the breach on 19 June, after IT supplier CGI flagged malicious activity on servers managed by a third-party provider. A number of digital and online services have been forced offline, including planning applications, paying for parking fines, reporting school absences and ordering certificates from city registrars.  

Online calendars, such as household schedules for bin collection and the Strathclyde Pension Fund online portal, have also been affected.


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The council confirmed no financial system has been impacted and no details of bank accounts or credit/debit cards processed by those systems have been compromised.

However, it said it was “operating on the presumption” that customer data may have been taken, and has contacted the Information Commissioner’s Office on this basis.

The council confirmed it has also alerted Police Scotland, the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre, and the National Cyber Security Centre, and an investigation is now underway.

It has urged anyone who used any of the affected forms to be “particularly cautious” of being contacted by entities posing as Glasgow City Council and asked those who are contacted by someone claiming to have their data to contact Police Scotland on 101 or call the Cyber Incident Response Helpline on 0800 1670 623.

Sofia Villegas

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