Middlesbrough Council

Middlesbrough Council experienced two successful DDoS attacks in late 2024 (November and early December), which took down its official website, disrupting public access to online services. While the council implemented a mitigation solution by the end of 2024 preventing further incidents the attacks exposed vulnerabilities in its digital infrastructure. The council had already been proactively overhauling its cybersecurity strategy, including staff training, disaster recovery tests for data centers, and third-party risk assessments through the Get Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF), which secured a £15,000 government grant. Additionally, an audit by Veritau confirmed 'Substantial Assurance' in its controls, though the DDoS incidents highlighted persistent risks. The attacks did not result in data breaches, financial theft, or long-term operational halts, but they undermined public trust and required immediate technical intervention. The council’s broader cybersecurity investments (e.g., £25,000 for a 12-month service) reflect the escalating threat landscape faced by UK public sector entities, with 30–74% of organizations reporting similar incidents annually.

Source: https://www.itpro.com/security/middlesbrough-council-boosts-cybersecurity-spending-strategy-in-response-to-repeated-cyber-attacks

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/middlesbroughcouncil

"id": "mid2292222100325",
"linkid": "middlesbroughcouncil",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "6/2024",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Public Sector',
                        'location': 'Middlesbrough, UK',
                        'name': 'Middlesbrough Council',
                        'type': 'Local Government'}],
 'attack_vector': 'DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)',
 'date_detected': '2024-11-01',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-09-25',
 'date_resolved': '2024-12-31',
 'description': 'Middlesbrough Council suffered multiple DDoS attacks in late '
                '2024, leading to website downtime. The council responded with '
                'a £25,000 investment in a 12-month cybersecurity service, '
                'staff training, disaster recovery tests, and mitigation '
                'solutions. The attacks were part of a broader trend of cyber '
                'threats targeting UK public sector organizations, with '
                'councils like Canterbury, Thanet, Dover, Leicester, and '
                'Greater Manchester also experiencing disruptive incidents in '
                '2024–2025.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential reputational risk due to '
                                       'public sector vulnerability trends',
            'downtime': 'Multiple incidents in November–December 2024',
            'operational_impact': 'Website outages, service disruptions',
            'systems_affected': ['Council Website']},
 'investigation_status': 'Resolved (mitigation successful; no further '
                         'incidents)',
 'lessons_learned': ['Proactive cybersecurity investments and training are '
                     'critical for public sector resilience.',
                     'Third-party audits (e.g., Veritau) and frameworks (e.g., '
                     'CAF) help identify vulnerabilities.',
                     'DDoS mitigation solutions can effectively prevent '
                     'recurring attacks.'],
 'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Implemented DDoS '
                                                   'mitigation solution',
                                                   'Strengthened governance '
                                                   'via CAF and Veritau audit',
                                                   'Invested in long-term '
                                                   'cybersecurity training and '
                                                   'services'],
                            'root_causes': ['Lack of prior DDoS protection '
                                            'measures',
                                            'Growing targeting of UK public '
                                            'sector by cyber threats']},
 'recommendations': ['Expand cybersecurity measures to address supply chain '
                     'risks (highlighted by Blackberry report).',
                     'Enhance collaboration with other UK councils to share '
                     'threat intelligence.',
                     'Regularly update disaster recovery and incident response '
                     'plans.'],
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2025-09-25',
                 'source': 'ITPro - Middlesbrough Council Cybersecurity Report '
                           '(PDF)'},
                {'source': 'UK Government Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024'},
                {'source': 'Blackberry Report on UK Public Sector '
                           'Vulnerabilities (2024)'}],
 'response': {'containment_measures': ['DDoS mitigation solution implemented '
                                       '(end of 2024)'],
              'incident_response_plan_activated': True,
              'recovery_measures': ['No further DDoS incidents '
                                    'post-mitigation'],
              'remediation_measures': ['£25,000 investment in 12-month '
                                       'cybersecurity service',
                                       'Three-year cybersecurity training '
                                       'strategy (spring 2025)',
                                       'Completion of Get Cyber Assessment '
                                       'Framework (CAF)',
                                       'Disaster recovery tests for data '
                                       'centers',
                                       'Server admin and security audit by '
                                       'Veritau'],
              'third_party_assistance': ['Veritau (audit firm)']},
 'title': 'Middlesbrough Council DDoS Attacks and Cybersecurity Overhaul',
 'type': ['DDoS Attack', 'Cybersecurity Overhaul']}