Investigation ongoing after West Lothian schools targeted in cyber attack
The council was alerted to the cyber attack on Tuesday afternoon. Schools across the county were able to continue to operate after contingency plans were introduced.
School staff and pupils have been thanked for their patience, as an investigation into a suspected ransomware attack earlier this week continues
West Lothian's education executive councillor also paid tribute to council IT staff for their prompt response to the incident.
Councillor Andrew McGuire, who chairs the Education Executive told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: 'As we have seen from major high street retailers in recent weeks cyber attacks are happening with increasing frequency and can cause havoc to organisations in a world now dominated by computers.
'Our dedicated IT staff are working tirelessly to resolve the issues and to get the education IT network back on track.
'I want to thank all the staff and students in schools for their patience over the last few days in what I'm sure is a very unsettling time and would encourage everyone to remain vigilant about cyber attacks.'
A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: 'We are continuing to work to mitigate the impact of a suspected criminal ransomware cyber attack on our education network.
'This remains a live criminal investigation, and we are working with all relevant external agencies including Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.
'There is no evidence that the council's corporate and public access networks are affected, or that any personal or sensitive data has been accessed.
'The education network remains isolated from the rest of the council's networks, while our IT Services team and external organisations and agencies investigate the issue and work to restore systems.
'We are very grateful for all the support we have received from various organisations and agencies during this challenging time.
'The council's contingency plans are operating effectively to ensure that our schools continue to deliver education with minimal impact on pupils, including SQA exams.'
Ransomware is a type of malware which prevents someone from accessing a device and the data stored on it, usually by encrypting files,
Criminal groups will demand a ransom in exchange for decryption. In recent weeks both the Co-op and Marks and Spencer have seen trade disrupted after hackers broke into their IT causing shortages in stores and stalling online ordering.
West Lothian has 13 secondary schools, 69 primary schools and 61 nurseries.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
29-07-2025
- Scotsman
West Lothian residents warned to be vigilant after counterfeit Glen's vodka seized
West Lothian Council is urging residents to be cautious after reports of counterfeit vodka in circulation. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The council's environmental health team are now carrying out spot checks on local businesses this week after counterfeit vodka was seized last week in another local authority area. There are no known cases in West Lothian but the council said it is taking proactive measures to warn residents of the counterfeit product that contains the harmful chemical isopropyl. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The recovered counterfeit vodka was sold in 35cl bottles and was fraudulently labelled as Glen's. On July 25, Food Standards Scotland issued a public health alert, advising people to look out for vodka with a strange smell, an unusual taste, and to check the laser etched code on the bottle. The recovered counterfeit vodka was sold in 35cl bottles and was fraudulently labelled as Glen's Symptoms of isopropyl alcohol poisoning include abdominal pain, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, confusion, slow breathing, and in severe cases, coma or death. Food Standards Scotland said: 'The scale of distribution of the counterfeit product is still unknown so if you believe you may have consumed alcohol that has a strong smell and a very different taste to normal and are showing any of the symptoms described, please contact the NHS 24 on 111 immediately. If you have severe symptoms, call 999.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: 'Following a national alert from Food Standards Scotland regarding counterfeit Glens Vodka being sold in Scotland, additional proactive checks on businesses will be carried out from this week. Environmental Health Officers are reminding members of the public to be vigilant if purchasing this product and have shared advice on what to look out for.' How to spot a fake The public should check for a laser etched lot code applied to the bottle between the rear label and the base of the bottle. A genuine bottle of Glen's vodka will also have three markings on the base of the bottle – two of which will not vary in position or detail | Food Standards Scotland/Brapps, flickr Every genuine bottle of Glen's vodka has a laser etched lot code applied to the bottle between the rear label and the base of the bottle. They will also have markings on the base of the bottle and the public should make sure to check for these. If you believe you may have purchased this counterfeit vodka by detecting a strong smell or taste that is different from normal, you should not drink it or dispose of it, and instead contact the environmentalhealth@ team who will provide further advice and assistance. You can also contact the FSS Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit at foodcrime@ for further advice.
BBC News
26-07-2025
- BBC News
Cumberland Council staff abuse incidents re-examined by police
Four incidents where council staff were subjected to physical and verbal abuse from members of the public will be re-examined by the reports from Cumberland Council included one worker being pushed down an embankment and another nearly being crushed when a lorry drove through a closed council's assistant director of highways and transport Karl Melville recently told members of the strategic board that a new awareness campaign would be launched over the summer aimed at reducing attacks on council a meeting on Thursday, Mr Melville said Cumbria's police and crime commissioner had taken interest in the issue and the cases would be looked at again. Last year, a similar awareness campaign featured posters of council workers' children placed near roadworks, to remind drivers that those working there have families. Mr Melville previously told members a lorry went through a road closure at a bridge in Sebergham, nearly crushing one of the workers, while in a separate incident a vehicle travelled through a road closure and collided with the back of a to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, monthly figures showed incidents of council workers being abused shot up from 34 in March to 64 in Melville said re-examining the incidents would send a clear message that they were supporting staff."Any council staff shouldn't be treated any differently to emergency services," he said. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
26-07-2025
- BBC News
Plymouth City Council boosts cyber security amid rising threats
Plymouth City Council has said it is ramping up its cyber security measures to guard against increasing council said it was introducing stricter computer protocols, including locking users out of their systems if they fail to update their devices within 30 days, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. At a scrutiny management board meeting, councillor Sue Dann, cabinet member for human resources, stressed the importance of vigilance. "We have the responsibility to do due diligence, we will be chasing people up to watch training videos," she said. Cyber attacks and phishing attempts, where an attacker attempts to steal your money, or your identity, by getting you to reveal personal information, were a constant concern, Dann added."When I was lord mayor my account was attacked three times and emails went out to all councillors asking for money," she of all emails sent to the council were flagged as spam or threats and Charlotte Holloway raised concerns about the city's exposure, asking whether additional support was available. Officials confirmed while no specific aid was provided, the council's IT partner actively monitored and responded to risks.
