Breach report · Government
Cyberattack Leaves Library With System-Wide Technical Outages
A cyberattack caused system-wide outages at the Boston Public Library; officials found no evidence yet that employee or customer data was taken.
Exploit: Ransomware Company: Boston Public Library Industry: Government, Educational Services Sources: bleepingcomputer.com
Cybercriminals continue to target government entities as a cyberattack left the Boston Public Library (BPL) with significant system-wide technical outages, resulting in disruptions to its online library services. The BPL has an extensive network of twenty-five branches, serving almost 4 million visitors annually and millions more online, making it the third-largest public library in the United States.
After a statement from the BPL revealed the ongoing technical outages were caused by a cyberattack, the library’s site informed visitors that “the library is currently experiencing a significant system outage and online library services that require login are unavailable.”
Law enforcement and the Mayor’s IT experts have been included in ongoing investigations as the BPL tries to determine whether any evidence of employee or customer data has been compromised. Thus far, no evidence has been found. More good news is expected as IT staff are now restoring the impacted systems, with services expected to resume shortly after.