The Hacking of Libraries

 

Even Libraries Are Not Safe From Cyber Saboteurs

  If you live in Ontario you will know that five southwestern Ontario hospitals have been hit by a cyberattack. 

  You may not know that the Toronto Public Library has also been brought down by such an attack. I only know because I attempted to see if the TPL had a particular book and was greeted with a message that said: "We are actively addressing a cyber security incident that came to our attention on Saturday, October 28." As of today, the website is still down.

   The only reason I an focusing on a current event is that I read this morning that the British Library website is also down and, so far, no one has noticed that two major libraries in two major cities are inaccessible. The news presented here constitutes a "scoop," of sorts. I suppose I should have included the words, "Breaking News" since they are now often found in any reports or broadcasts (no matter how dated) produced by the legacy media.

Something Else to Worry About

   I recalled that MM has dealt with this issue before. Back in the spring of 2018, I mentioned that even islands weren't safe from such sabotage since the PEI website was breached, (see: "Cybercrime and Cyberwarfare.) More recently it was reported in MM  that a "Ransomware Attack Leads to Shutdown of Major U.S. Pipeline System." In that post you will find a link to a long report with the title: "Combatting Ransomware: A Comprehensive Framework for Action: Key Recommendations From the Ransomware Task Force." The post is: "Pipelines."

Sources:

  There has not been much about the TPL incident, but the CBC did notice when it happened: "Toronto Public Library Dealing WIth Cybersecurity 'Incident' Impacting Some Services," CBC News, Oct. 29. 2023.

  For the British Public Library see: "An Apparent Cyberattack Hushes the British Library," Alex Marshall, New York Times, Nov.3, 2023. And this from Artlyst, Nov.5, 

"British Library Knocked Offline Due to Major Cyberattack."

"Amidst Digital Chaos, the British Library is currently in the clutches of a major cyberattack. The assault, which has crippled the library’s online services and impacted its physical sites in London and Yorkshire, has left scholars, researchers, and the general public grappling with unanticipated disruptions. When Artlyst checked the website this morning it was still down with the exception of the shop, which seemed to be up and running."

Is Nothing Sacred?