Phone, internet or cyber outage
A network failure or cyber attack can stop calls, payments and online services.
How it can spread
- Calls, messages and the internet may be down
- Card payments and online banking may fail
- Official updates may only reach you by radio
Before
- Keep key contacts and your plan on paper.
- Keep some cash at home.
- Use strong, unique passwords and two-step verification on important accounts.
During
- Use your FM radio for news.
- If calls fail, a text may still get through.
- Be wary of messages that ask you to act urgently or share details. Scammers use outages too.
Official information
Checked against official guidance on 28 Oct 2026. In immediate danger, call 999.
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