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A council's IT systems were targeted by hackers demanding a ransom, it has emerged.

Redcar and Cleveland Council's website and internal computer systems have been out of action for more than a fortnight.

It's now been revealed it was a ransomware cyber-attack, in which files are scrambled until a ransom is paid, which is being investigated by the National Crime Agency .

And the council has also confirmed the attack could delay children in finding out which secondary school they'll go to.

The authority is now working hard to get computer systems back online.

On Wednesday, Cllr Mary Lanigan, the council leader, reassured residents that there was no indication any private information had been compromised.

"On Saturday, February 8, Redcar and Cleveland Council was the victim of a ransomware cyber-attack which targeted the council’s IT servers," she said.

"Our absolute priority since the first day of the attack has been to protect our front-line services, ensuring the safety and well-being of the most vulnerable people in our community, while rebuilding our IT systems so they can return to full functionality.

"Significant progress has been made. Our staff, working alongside support from the Government, continue to work tirelessly round the clock to minimise any disruption or delays.

"All front-line services have continued, payments continue to be processed as normal, and there is no evidence so far to suggest any personal information has been removed from our servers."

But Cllr Lanigan said the attack could result in a delay in confirming secondary school places for 2020/21.

“We have built a new server and website, and mobilised a temporary call centre," she said.

“However, it may be some time before our IT capabilities are fully restored which may mean frustration for the public in dealing with us administratively.

“As a result of the attack, there may be a short delay in us being able to confirm secondary school places.

"Our staff are working round the clock to allocate the places by the National Offer Day on March 2 but we will inform parents and carers on Friday, February 28, if there will be a short delay and when they can expect to receive them.

“I would like to assure you though that the allocation itself that parents and carers would have received, and will receive, will not be affected by any delay.

“We do not expect any disruption to the primary admissions round and anticipate we will be making offers on primary National Offer Day, April 16."

The independent council leader went on to thank staff and residents for their hard work and patience and confirmed that an investigation into the attack is being led by the National Crime Agency.

“I’d also like to thank our residents for the resilience and patience they have shown" Cllr Lanigan said.

"And I’d like to place on record my gratitude and admiration for our council staff and all of those who have responded to this complex and challenging situation.

“We notified the relevant authorities of the attack swiftly and the investigation is being led by the National Crime Agency.

"We are working with the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency, and I would like to thank their staff for all the assistance they have provided.

“As a council, we have always taken cyber security seriously, and we will continue to engage with the relevant authorities to ensure our systems are as secure as possible in the future.”

On February 8, Redcar and Cleveland Council's website was rendered completely inoperative following the cyber-attack.

As of February 26, the full website remains offline but now displays a holding page with some limited functionality.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) is leading a criminal probe, while the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has been at Redcar's Heart HQ since the attack.

A NSCS spokesperson said: "We are aware of a cyber incident affecting Redcar and Cleveland Council.

"This is an isolated incident and we are supporting the organisation and working with partners to understand its impact.”

At a meeting of the council's Governance Committee following the attack, independent councillor Colin Monson said IT security needed to be looked at as a priority and called the situation a "serious disaster".

"I think this history of what has happened over the last couple of days is a clear indication that disaster recovery systems across the authority need a serious review," he said.