The local council of La Laguna has advised residents to be vigilant following a cyberattack on Monday, 2 November, which is still disrupting various municipal services. Officials have stated they cannot yet confirm whether personal data has been compromised and have urged caution against potential fraud attempts.
The council is actively implementing its security protocols while gradually restoring its computer systems. In the meantime, residents are advised to be wary of suspicious messages, review their passwords, and strengthen their online account security.
The attack, discovered five days ago, has impacted the municipal website, the electronic headquarters, the administrative file management system, and several applications related to tax and accounting management.
One key concern remains the extent of the cyberattack’s impact on the information stored in the council’s systems. While no confirmed data breach has been reported, officials are unable to determine if any information has been compromised.
In response, the council has issued preventive measures for residents, particularly concerning any communications posing as the council or mentioning municipal matters. Recommended guidelines include:
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Be cautious of unexpected emails, texts, and calls. Avoid sharing personal or banking information, especially if these communications claim to be about municipal services.
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Do not share passwords or verification codes. The council will never request such information via phone, email, or text.
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Review and change repeated passwords. It’s advised to use different login details across platforms, particularly for email accounts.
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Enable multifactor authentication. This provides an extra layer of security, making it harder for unauthorized access even if a password is known.
These guidelines are purely precautionary and do not indicate confirmed misuse of residents’ data.
If any suspicion arises regarding compromised data, residents can contact the council’s Data Protection Officer at [email protected]. This email is available for inquiries about personal information security and to exercise rights under data protection laws.
Residents are also encouraged to avoid clicking on links received through unexpected messages claiming to be related to fines, outstanding payments, or administrative issues tied to the council. Authenticity should be verified through official channels.
Despite the incident, La Laguna council continues to provide in-person services, albeit with some limitations due to the ongoing situation. They have also extended deadlines for various administrative processes to ensure that residents with pending tasks aren’t adversely affected.
Restoration of digital services is underway, with access to the municipal register and certificates of residence for travel already functioning online, as confirmed by the council. However, some municipal tools remain affected, and normal functionality has yet to be fully restored.
Since the cyberattack was identified, dedicated teams have been working to analyse evidence of the breach, secure the environment, and strengthen the council’s technological infrastructure. The matter has been referred to the National Cryptological Centre (CCN), part of the National Intelligence Centre (CNI), to address the incident.
The council aims to restore impacted services progressively while ensuring the security of its systems and the information they manage. So far, there has been no announcement regarding when full functionality will resume, nor whether any personal information was accessed during the attack. The council has committed to keep the public informed as services are restored.
