Southwark Liberal Democrats raise alarm after Council staff passwords leaked on dark web

Southwark Liberal Democrats have demanded urgent answers from Southwark Council after it was revealed in The Independent that the passwords of 42 Southwark Council staff have been found on the dark web.

The data leak, which also includes thousands of civil servant accounts across Whitehall departments, could leave Southwark exposed to cyber attacks and poses serious risks to sensitive resident and staff information held by the Council. Southwark is one of just four out of 347 local authorities to be included in the data breach.

Cllr Victor Chamberlain, Leader of the Opposition on Southwark Council, has written to senior Council officers to seek urgent assurances that resident data is secure and that robust steps are being taken to strengthen the Council’s cyber security.

Southwark Liberal Democrats are calling for the Council to:

• Confirm whether any resident data has been compromised.
• Set out what immediate measures have been taken to secure systems and accounts.
• Provide clear assurances to residents and staff that their data is protected.
• Commit to strengthening cyber security, including stronger password policies, multi-factor authentication, and regular independent audits.

Councillor Victor Chamberlain said:

“This revelation is extremely concerning. If criminals are able to exploit leaked passwords, it could put sensitive resident and staff information at risk. Residents must have confidence that the Council is doing everything possible to keep their personal data safe.

We need urgent clarity on the scale of this breach in Southwark, what immediate action has been taken to secure our systems, and what further safeguards will be introduced to stop this happening again. The Council must be open and transparent with both councillors and residents.”