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West Midlands association hit by cyberattack
A housing association that manages homes across Shropshire and Herefordshire has taken some of its systems offline after being hit by a cyberattack.
Connexus, a 10,000-home landlord, described the decision as a “precautionary measure” but acknowledged that it knows little about the extent of the attack from earlier this year.
Investigations into the incident are under way, according to a post on the landlord’s Facebook page.
It is operating an emergency repair service, and phone lines are running for reporting repairs, accessing support and making payments.
However, the association has also warned that the attack could impact and result in changes to the services tenants receive.
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In a website update this week, Connexus said: “Please note that we are prioritising urgent repairs, essential compliance visits (such as gas services) and our customers with vulnerabilities. Our emergency out of hours service remains unaffected.”
Some residents have expressed frustration on the Connexus Facebook page. Many have reported an increased number of scam phone calls that they believe could be due to the attack.
A number have also reported missed appointments, as well as a lack of communication in general.
Connexus responded to many of the comments by reiterating that it is waiting for more details regarding the extent of the breach and will be communicating more information accordingly.
The landlord said: “As with any security incident which may involve personal data, we are asking all customers to remain extremely vigilant, especially when it comes to discussing any financial information with Connexus or any other organisation such as a bank, building society or retailer.”
One tenant joked: “If anyone has stolen my identity, does this mean they want to pay my service charge for me?”
Cyberattacks have increasingly become a major risk for social landlords over the past few years, with giant housing association Clarion facing an attack with significant financial consequences last summer. Flagship Housing Association also suffered an attack in autumn 2020.
More recently, Hackney Council revealed that it will procure a new ‘off-the-shelf’ IT system three years on from a “devastating” cyberattack, after its struggles to replace its internal housing system contributed to residents waiting months for repairs to damp, mould and other serious problems.
The risk of a cyberattack compromising IT systems and data security has overtaken health and safety as the most commonly flagged concern, according to Inside Housing’s Risk Register Survey 2024.
It was a strategic risk for 77% of landlords in 2022-23, a rise of 10 percentage points. Home Group, which manages 56,200 homes, noted an increase in the frequency of attempted cyberattacks, while in its report, Clarion said: “Cyber security threats have continued to evolve over the last year and remain a major challenge.”
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