The ransomware attack last October on the UK National Library (pictured) disrupted the library's digital systems. It is expected to be fully restored by mid-April. This raises many questions about the security of digital resources.
The attack on the British Library – a repository of millions of books, manuscripts, and important documents spanning centuries – by the Rhysida group is not unusual in the current climate of rapidly increasing cyberattacks in the UK . A range of services across the library were shut down as a result of the incident, including access to the library's online catalog – described by British Library Chief Executive Roly Keating as “one of the most important datasets for researchers worldwide.”
This group stole 600GB of data, including detailed user information, for blackmail purposes. According to The Record, in addition to stealing data and encrypting servers, Rhysida also destroyed servers to prevent system recovery, causing the most significant damage to the British Library. Experts say cyberattacks are becoming more powerful and disruptive than ever, with organizations behind these attacks becoming increasingly sophisticated and willing to ruthlessly destroy entire technical systems.
According to Computer Weekly, the British Library acknowledges that vulnerabilities to such an attack were exacerbated by reliance on outdated applications that are now irreparable, either because they are completely obsolete or cannot run securely. Many systems need to be rebuilt from scratch, but on the bright side, the British Library has a golden opportunity to transform its use and management of technology and adopt best practices in security, as well as implement appropriate policies and procedures.
On the positive side, the British Library chose transparency after experiencing the Rhysida malware attack by releasing details of the intrusion, the library's step-by-step response (including refusing to pay ransom to the criminals), and the lessons learned to help other organizations plan and protect themselves against similar cyberattacks. Around the same time the British Library was attacked, the Toronto Public Library (TPL) in Canada also suffered a malware attack, shutting down its computer systems and trapping 1 million books, which were only recently returned to the shelves in February. The 100 branches of TPL – the world's busiest urban public library – are still in the process of recovering.
The internet and digital document technology seem to have given the library and publishing industry a new lease of life… but the risks remain. Fire and theft are no longer the only major threats facing libraries and archives.
Cyber attackers are now targeting not only public services, government agencies, and businesses, but also major libraries, raising the risk of information manipulation and even historical distortion.
HANH CHI
Source
Comment (0)