Why Every UK Council Needs an Out-of-Band Communications Platform - Before the Next Cyber Attack Hits

In 2024, 41 UK councils were hit by ransomware attacks, according to the BBC. That’s almost one attack every week. Local authorities are now among the most targeted public-sector institutions in the country - and the consequences are far more serious than a few days of email downtime.

For councils, cyber attacks are not just an IT issue. They directly threaten the delivery of social care, public safety, housing, child protection, and local services that millions depend on.

And with nearly 80% of council budgets tied to social care, the question is no longer if an attack will come, but how councils can continue operating when it does.

Why Local Authorities Are Uniquely Vulnerable

Unlike major private-sector organisations, councils simply do not have the same resources to defend themselves:

• Significantly smaller cybersecurity budgets
• Understaffed and overstretched IT teams
• A nationwide shortage of cyber-trained professionals
• Legacy systems and complex supply chains
• Tight regulatory and safeguarding responsibilities

Attackers know this. Local authorities have become high-value, low-defence targets.

That’s why the zero-trust assumption must now be standard:
The attacker will get through. The systems will go down. The question is what happens next.

When Systems Fail, Communication Fails - Unless There’s Out-of-Band

When ransomware hits, councils typically lose:

• Email
• File storage
• Telephony
• Internal messaging
• Access to critical case files
• Ability to coordinate with partners and emergency responders

In other words, they lose the ability to manage a crisis. This is where an Out-of-Band (OOB) communications platform becomes essential.

What an Out-of-Band Platform Does

An OOB communication environment - like YUDU Sentinel - provides a secure, isolated space that remains operational even when the council’s primary network is compromised or offline.

It enables:

• Immediate crisis communication across leadership, IT, social care, and emergency teams
• Secure mobile apps for staff to access instructions, documents, and checklists
• Broadcast messaging to coordinate internal and external partners
• Compartmentalised permissions, ensuring the right people get the right information
• A safe place for crisis plans, playbooks, and offline resources
• Resilience when email and Microsoft 365 are encrypted or inaccessible

In short, it lets the council continue running essential services even during a catastrophic attack.

Social Care Cannot Go Down

Consider the scenario if a ransomware attack disables systems used by:

• Adult social care teams
• Children’s services
• Emergency duty teams
• Care home coordination
• Multi-agency safeguarding hubs
• Social workers in the field

These teams must operate every minute of every day. They cannot wait a week for systems to be rebuilt.

Without an OOB comms platform, many councils rely on consumer messaging apps, personal emails, or chaotic improvisation - all of which create massive safeguarding, GDPR, and accountability risks.

Cyber Resilience Is No Longer Optional

Central government guidance increasingly emphasises resilience, continuity, and secure alternatives to compromised systems. But the responsibility ultimately rests with individual councils.

An Out-of-Band communications platform is not a luxury. It is the minimum viable capability to protect vulnerable people and maintain statutory responsibilities during an attack.

With 41 councils breached last year, the warning signs could not be clearer.

• The next ransomware incident is already being planned.
• The time to build resilient communication is before the crisis.
• OOB is the fail-safe that ensures councils can still function when everything else stops.