Housing Ombudsman reports third-party IT security incident affecting its case management system

The service said it is investigating unauthorised access to data held within the case management system.

The affected system has been taken offline while the investigation is carried out and appropriate safeguards are put in place, it added.

The Ombudsman said: “The incident has been contained, and we are working with our external supplier to establish the full facts, including the extent of the data involved.  

“We are continuing to investigate whether any personal information has been affected and will provide further updates as soon as we are able. In the meantime, we have reported the incident to the Information Commission.”

It recommended that, as a precaution, individuals continue to exercise their usual caution when responding to unexpected communications.

“Do not disclose personal information unless you are confident of the identity of the requester and report any suspicious activity to the relevant organisation or authorities,” the Ombudsman said.

Anyone with questions or concerns can contact its Data Protection Officer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

The incident has been reported to the Information Commission (ICO).