The Queens Public Library in New York City says a ransomware gang has encrypted its systems and shut down many of its digital services. The system, which has 66 branches serving the borough’s 2.3 million residents, first warned of outages on Wednesday afternoon and confirmed the ransomware attack hours later. In a statement on social media it said on-site computers, check-out and return machines, Wi-Fi access, digital media services and its mobile app are all down.
All locations remain open as scheduled, although the library says some virtual and in-person programs may be affected. It says it is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts and will post updates. According to The Record, New York City officials did not respond to requests for comment, and no ransomware gang had claimed the attack as of Thursday evening. The Record does not report whether any patron or staff data was taken.
The Record notes that libraries have been repeated ransomware targets: Seattle Public Library, the British Library (whose systems were destroyed in 2023) and the Toronto Public Library, which spent months recovering in 2023. Library systems also hold local population data; a ransomware attack on Washington State’s Pierce County Library System last year exposed the information of more than 340,000 people.