London council slammed for ‘severe’ data breach in ‘avoidable’ cyber attack

The UK’s data watchdog has criticised Hackney Council over a cyber attack that breached 440,000 files, affecting over 280,000 people. The Information Commissioner’s Office argued that the breach, which exposed personal data, was an avoidable error and highlighted the importance of trust in local authorities regarding data protection. While Hackney Council denied breaching its security obligations, it would not challenge the decision due to limited resources.