Cyberattack disrupts services at Tewkesbury Borough Council near UK GCHQ headquarters
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Tewkesbury Borough Council, located in Gloucestershire, England, reports a cyberattack that has disrupted many of its services.
The council, which serves approximately 97,000 residents in a borough surrounding the town of Cheltenham—home to the headquarters of the UK's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)—warned on Wednesday that its systems might have been penetrated by attackers.
The council announced on its website, "We are having to assume that our systems have been compromised, and we are taking the necessary cyber response steps, including shutting down our systems." In addition, a council spokesperson informed that many services are currently unavailable or operating slower than usual, and the council's phone lines are expected to be overwhelmed with inquiries. Residents and businesses were urged to contact the council only when absolutely necessary.
As of now, the specific nature of the cyberattack has not been confirmed, and it remains unclear whether any personal information belonging to residents has been compromised. Additionally, there has been no comment from GCHQ regarding whether the incident may affect its staff.
