Boston Public Library discloses cyberattack

The Boston Public Library was victim of a cyberattack that crippled its computer network, the library revealed in a statement Friday.

The Boston Public Library announced on Friday that it was hit by a cyberattack that compromised its computer network. The affected systems were taken offline to prevent the threat from spreading. At the time of the announcement, the library said that there is no evidence that sensitive employee or patron data has been compromised.

The Boston Public Library library is the oldest large municipal library in the nation.

“On Wednesday morning, 8/25, the Boston Public Library experienced a systemwide technical outage due to a cybersecurity attack, pausing public computer and public printing services, as well as some online resources. Affected systems were taken offline immediately, and proactive steps were taken to isolate the problem and shutdown network communication. There is currently no evidence that sensitive employee or patron data has been disclosed.” reads the statement published by BPL.

The library reported the incident to law enforcement and is working with the Mayor’s Department of Innovation and Technology to mitigate the cyberattack. All locations will remain open, patrons will still be able to check out books, and some online services remain operational. 

“We apologize for any inconvenience this outage may have caused patrons,” said Kurt Mansperger, Chief Technology Officer of the BPL. “Thank you for your patience as our team and law enforcement officials work to restore our digital services and protect the library from future attacks.” concludes the statement.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking)