UK Housing Ombudsman Service: third-party IT security incident hits case management system; new complaints, case viewing and web chat offline; ICO notified while it checks whether personal data was affected
The UK Housing Ombudsman Service, the public body that settles disputes between social housing residents and landlords in England, said on 13 October 2026 that a third-party IT security incident affected its case management system. It says the incident is contained and it is working with its external supplier to establish the facts, including the extent of the data involved, and is still investigating whether personal information was affected. It has reported the incident to the Information Commissioner's Office. While systems are restored, residents cannot submit a new complaint, view an existing complaint or use web chat and the web form, and are asked to email or phone instead. The service has not named the supplier, and BleepingComputer reported no claim of responsibility.
- Product
- Housing Ombudsman Service case management system (run by an external supplier)
- Versions
- n/a — incident
- Exploited in Australia?
- unknown
- Patch to
- Residents and landlords dealing with the Ombudsman: treat unexpected calls, texts or emails about a complaint with care and check them through the Ombudsman's published contact details. Public bodies: confirm that supplier-hosted case systems are in your incident plan, with contract terms for prompt notice and data-scope reporting.
Primary: Housing Ombudsman Service — Statement: IT Security Incident (13 Oct 2026) · BleepingComputer — UK Housing Ombudsman Service investigates 'security incident' (13 Oct 2026)