Investigations are underway at Gateshead Council following the discovery of a cyber security incident.
The council said it has been targeted by cyber criminals, with the incident happening in the early hours of 8 January, and that it was quickly contained by regular security checks, preventing further damage.
Its operations are now continuing, but some personal data has been infringed.
The incident is being investigated by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU), a collaboration between Cleveland Police, Durham Constabulary and Northumbria Police.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and other regulatory bodies have been informed and are liaising with the council.
Immediate action
Mike Barker, Gateshead’s strategic director for corporate services and governance, said: "We have taken immediate remedial action to limit data loss and business continues as usual now we have isolated this incident, but investigations continue into this.
"Work is ongoing with relevant parties to understand how this incident happened and any wider implications it may have.
"A number of files have been accessed as part of this incident and we are now contacting those people impacted directly to ensure they are protected from any further harm. The police are also investigating this as a crime.”
He added: "We will be providing updates as part of the ongoing response to this incident and if we discover your data is at risk we will contact you directly.
"As investigations continue there is a possibility of further issues arising, and we will work to mitigate this should that be the case. Investigations so far have not indicated there is any further damage caused, but we need to be open to the possibility."
UKAuthorITy has recently partnered with SCC on a research project and published a white paper on the complexities of cyber security in local government. More details from here.
