I ransomware they are not only growing in the number of attacks but also in the sectors affected. If the cases involving hospitals and similar structures are causing quite a few inconveniences, the libraries.
The first sensational case, in this sense, is the one involving the Toronto Public Libraryalso known as TPL. This was hit by ransomware late last month, which caused numerous inconveniences for users, leading to the partial or total interruption of some services.
With the site down, the organization had to create a temporary one, through which it communicated to citizens about the massive attack suffered and declaring that it will take a few days for the library to be operational again.
The notice reads as “TPL has proactively prepared for cybersecurity issues and promptly initiated measures to mitigate potential impacts“. The note also states how “We have engaged with third-party cybersecurity experts to help us resolve this situation. However, we anticipate that it may take several days for all systems to be fully restored to normal operations“.
Who is responsible for the attack and why would a ransomware group target a library?
BleepingComputer reports that in addition to the temporary closure of the website (i.e tpl.ca), the ransomware attack prevented people from accessing their online accounts. Furthermore, public computers and printing services were also made inaccessible.
The good news is that phone lines were not affected and the attack had limited effects on email: those who were logged in to their accounts Office 365 they remained connected at the time of the attack. TPL has shut down all remaining systems as a precaution. Another important fact is that there is no evidence of theft of personal information. However, it appears that the main servers of TPL were not encryptedwhich is quite alarming.
Through the claim of the attack and the associated ransom demand, it seems clear that cybercriminals from Black Enough. The amount of the request has not been revealed at the moment.
Why hit a library? In the case of TPL, we are talking about the largest library institution in Canada, with an annual budget of more than 200 million dollars. In this sense, for ransomware groups this victim potentially has the economic ability to pay a very high ransom.