Council sees rise in cyber attacks
CRIMINALS ‘EXPLOIT’ COVID-19 PANDEMIC
HULL City Council has suffered ten significant cyber attacks this year, up from four during the whole of 2019, according to the local authority’s figures.
A report submitted to the council’s Audit Committee stated cyber criminals had “exploited” the coronavirus pandemic to wage the attacks.
It added the heightened threat would likely continue for a prolonged period as the effects of moves to home working and other coronavirus arrangements continue to be felt.
It comes as council officers told members of the Audit Committee incidents this year included a high number of “phishing” attacks.
These see forged emails sent to individuals and organisations in an attempt to get login details and other security information.
The council’s report stated the ten incidents did not include the “thousands” of malicious emails it receives every week.
The report stated: “It’s important to note that these were either significant events or breaches of cyber security, and not just attacks.
“The council is under constant cyber attack, with, for instance, thousands of malicious emails received every week.
“While there have been no critical incidents experienced so far, this year has seen a greater number of cyber security incidents already.”
Councillors heard IT staff had bought a phishing simulator to help train staff to recognise false emails and on what to do if sensitive information is passed on.
The committee also heard security systems currently in place meant the council could react quickly to breaches, with staff on standby to monitor threats all hours daily.
Councillors heard the authority’s IT systems are subject to yearly stress tests and that in house checks are undertaken regularly to prevent breaches.
The report stated while changes undertaken on council staff working, following the outbreak of coronavirus, placed “significant stress” on systems, no breaches or loss of residents’ data occurred.
The four significant cyber incidents recorded in 2019 included a phishing attack, which saw council computers infected with malicious software. local
Emails were found to have been lost as a result, including some with a “limited amount” of private data.
The three other incidents were in connection with third-party software used by the council, with no data breaches resulting from attacks.
It comes as the Audit Committee also discussed the use of software to make automated decisions in areas such as council housing.
Officers stated the use of software to calculate GCSE and A Level grades, which led to many later being revised, had raised concerns over automation. The committee heard software could be used to alert staff on issues such as a council house tenant being in danger of falling into rent arrears. Tenants have to give consent to be included in the system, which is subject to human oversight.
Officers stated humans were always involved in any decision made that would affect a resident’s life.
The council is under constant cyber attack, with, for instance, thousands of malicious emails received every week Report