We are writing to make you aware of an IT security incident affecting the Housing Ombudsman Service.  

We are aware of a third-party IT security incident that has impacted our case management system. We have been working urgently with our external supplier to understand the full extent of what happened and our investigations are ongoing.  

We have contained the incident.  In the meantime, we have taken proactive, precautionary steps to prevent further unauthorised activity. This does mean that we are unable to currently access our case management system and, therefore, our online form, landlord portal and web chat are offline.   

At this stage, we have identified that some contact details such as name, address, telephone number and postal addresses may have been copied from our system.  This may include data relating to you. 

Our investigations are ongoing, but we want to be transparent and make you aware of the incident as a priority. 

We understand this news may be concerning. If further information about the incident is discovered that impacts you may have, we will let you know. For now, we are working with our external suppliers and the relevant authorities to fully understand what happened and prevent any recurrence. If you have any concerns, you can contact our Data Protection Officer at DPO@housing-ombudsman.org.uk. 

If you need to raise a new complaint with us in the meantime, please email us at info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk  or call us on 0300 111 3000. 

What you can do  

While our investigation continues, as a matter of best practice, we recommend you remain vigilant for any unexpected emails, text messages, telephone calls or correspondence requesting personal information or asking you to take urgent action.   

Do not click on links or open attachments from unknown sources, and always verify the identity of anyone claiming to represent a trusted organisation before sharing information.   

We are sorry for any worry this may cause. We will continue to update you as our investigation progresses and will let you know as soon as we have further confirmed information.