April 23, 2024 at 07:13AM
Leicester City Council experienced a ransomware attack causing residential streetlights to stay on continuously, disrupting daily life. The cyberattack led to system shutdowns and data theft, making the council reluctant to pay the ransom. The 1.3 TB data breach prompted close cooperation with law enforcement and data breach notifications to affected individuals.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes are as follows:
1. Leicester City Council has been experiencing issues with streetlights remaining on during the day and night due to a residual effect of a recent cyberattack. This issue has been attributed to the council’s “central management system” misbehaving as a result of the attack.
2. The council is working to resolve the streetlight issue, but due to the shutdown of IT systems following the cyberattack, they are currently unable to remotely identify faults in the street lighting system.
3. Leicester City Council declined to pay INC Ransom’s demands, leading to the release of a significant amount of sensitive council data totaling 1.3 TB. The council is working with authorities, including Leicestershire Police and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), to address the data breach and determine appropriate actions for affected individuals.
4. The council’s decision not to pay the ransom aligns with the NCSC’s stance against paying ransoms, and it demonstrates a commitment to avoid funding the cybercrime ecosystem further.
5. The broader context of ransomware incidents in the U.S., such as the attack on Colonial Pipeline, and the subsequent ransom payments by companies like Caesars Entertainment and UnitedHealth, has led to increased scrutiny and upcoming testimony before the House’s Energy and Commerce Subcommittee.
These takeaways provide a clear understanding of the cybersecurity challenges and responses facing Leicester City Council and the broader implications of ransomware incidents in the current environment.