The British Library, the national library of the United Kingdom, has been suffering from a major IT outage since October, when it was targeted by a ransomware attack. The cyberattack has affected the library’s online services, including its website, catalog, digital collections, and email system.

According to a statement from the library, the attack was carried out by a ransomware gang known as Rhysida, which has claimed responsibility for the incident and is demanding a ransom for the decryption of the library’s data. The library said it is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to investigate the attack and restore its systems as soon as possible.

Rhysida Auctions Off Stolen Data

Meanwhile, Rhysida has announced that it is auctioning off the data it allegedly stole from the British Library’s systems. The gang posted a sample of the data on its dark website, which includes personal information of library staff and patrons, financial records, and confidential documents.

The gang accepts bids from interested parties who want to buy or use the data for malicious purposes. The auction will end on the last days of November, and the highest bidder will receive the decryption key and access to the full data set.

The Impact of the Attack

The ransomware attack has caused significant disruption to the British Library’s operations and services. The library, which holds over 150 million items and receives over 10 million online visits per year, has been unable to provide access to its digital resources and collections, which include rare manuscripts, historical newspapers, sound recordings, and e-books from all around the UK and Ireland.

The library has also been unable to process requests for physical items, such as books and journals, from its users and partner institutions. The library said it is working hard to resume its services as soon as possible, but warned that some of them may take longer to restore than others.

The library apologized to its users for the inconvenience caused by the attack and thanked them for their patience and support. The library also urged its users to check its website and social media channels for updates on its recovery progress.

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