Edinburgh MSP and councillor comments as council website goes down

Responding to the discovery of critical cyber security weaknesses in websites worldwide, which has forced the City of Edinburgh council website offline, Edinburgh Northern MSP and local councillor Sanne Dijkstra-Downie said:

"The disruption to the City of Edinburgh Council website and the loss of access to some online services will be frustrating and concerning for residents, particularly those who rely on these services to manage essential day-to-day matters.

"Technical and security issues can require urgent action but the council will need to communicate clearly with residents about how long it expects services to be offline. They must also guarantee that no one will be left out of pocket as a result of key services going down

"They will also need to ensure that people who need urgent help are not left without support because a website or online form is unavailable, particularly for people who are vulnerable or facing urgent housing, financial or social care difficulties.

"As a councillor, I will be seeking clarity on the disruption, the arrangements for supporting affected residents, and the steps being taken to restore services securely and minimise the risk of similar disruption in future."