Oxford City Council is currently investigating a cybersecurity breach that disrupted several council services and may have exposed personal data belonging to former election workers.
The incident occurred over the weekend of June 7 and 8 and was detected by the council’s automated defense systems.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Council confirmed that the breach involved an “unauthorized presence” within its internal network. Automated security tools quickly responded by removing the intruders and restricting further access. Despite this, the breach caused temporary disruptions to multiple essential council services.
In response, the Council engaged external cybersecurity specialists and shut down its main systems as a precaution while full security checks were carried out. This action affected service availability throughout the following week.
“Our staff have been working hard to minimize the impact on our residents,” the Council said. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to people trying to access our services.”
Recovery is well underway. Most systems have been restored and confirmed safe, with the remaining services expected to come back online within days. The Council emphasized that its email and digital platforms remain secure and fully functional.
Potential Data Exposure
The investigation revealed that archived data stored on legacy systems was accessed. This data includes personal information of individuals who worked in council-run elections between 2001 and 2022, such as poll workers and ballot counters. Most affected individuals are either current or former council staff.
So far, there is no sign that this data has been shared or leaked, and no evidence points to a large-scale data theft. Still, the Council has contacted those who may be affected to explain what happened, offer support, and outline steps to improve future data security.
Found this article interesting? Follow us on X(Twitter) ,Threads and FaceBook to read more exclusive content we post.
