British Library struggles for weeks after cyber-attack against site and systems

The British Library is gradually recovering from a “major technology outage as a result of a cyber-attack,” which had affected its website, online systems, and some onsite services since late October at least.

“Following confirmation last week that this was a ransomware attack, we’re aware that some data has been leaked. This appears to be from our internal HR files,” posted the library on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

Ransomware attacks usually involve a hacker breaking into a system and stealing sensitive content. The hacker then pressures the victim to pay a ransom by a certain time. If the money is not paid, the stolen information is often released on the dark web or sold to other criminal actors.

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The Rhysida ransomware group took responsibility for the attack on the British Library and wanted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, reported TechCrunch on Monday.

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The British Library posted the same day that its sites were open as normal but that other services may be restored in the coming weeks and that some disruptions could last even longer.

The company shared there was no evidence yet of user data being compromised, but advised members to change their password if they had reused their British Library password elsewhere.

The library also said it was working with police and cybersecurity specialists to investigate the attack while it tries to secure its systems.