‘People have had to move house’: Inside the British Library, two years on from devastating cyber attack

Two years after the October 2023 ransomware attack by Rhysida, the British Library remains disrupted, with dozens of services still unavailable and staff reporting a higher workload and ongoing abuse from frustrated users. The incident led to the leakage of staff details onto the dark web, and a dark web listing claiming 573 GB comprising 490,191 files remains online, according to the article.

Staff have had to adapt, now using a digital form to place orders but still inputting information manually, which significantly slows processes. The library reportedly faced a £600,000 ransom demand, which it has not publicly stated whether it paid or attempted to negotiate; paying is discouraged because it funds future crime, and there is no guarantee of recovery, according to the piece.

The comes after the attack shut down digital systems and disrupted access to ebooks, the archives and manuscripts catalogue, and online journal articles, with abuse persisting as members continue to contend with limited access, according to The Independent.