Western Isles Council backup systems 'inaccessible' following cyber attack

A council’s backup servers cannot be accessed following a cyber attack which disrupted communications.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have updated locals on the results of the investigation after they suffered a suspected ransomware attack on Tuesday, November 7.

The council confirmed that the investigation found that data stored on Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s operational and backup servers cannot be accessed.

The update said servers are accessible but they have not been able to access the stored data.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar said they are continuing to engage with expert organisations to mitigate the impact of the incident, adding that there is no indication that data has been extracted from the compromised server.

The council reassured the public that they are focusing on identifying any information extracted from the server and inform those impacted, as well as rebuilding operations and ensure the continued delivery of services to those in the community.

Malcolm Burr, chief executive of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said: “The Comhairle has been the victim of a cyber-crime which has caused significant damage and is having an impact on the delivery of many of our key services.

“Our priority is always the people of the Western Isles, and we will continue to work to ensure that the impact of this crime on everyone is lessened.

“This incident once again demonstrates the vulnerability of all public bodies to the growing threat of cyber-attacks.”