It may now be taken for granted that, in this 21st century, not only the rules but likewise the battle ground for attacks have changed; whether it be on individuals, private institutions or governments. A notable example is the recent Malware attacks on Libraries across the city of St Louis in Missouri state of the United States.
Effect of the cyberattack which had the hackers demanding for $35,000 to restore the system affected 700 computers across the city’s 16 public libraries and had people unable to borrow books or use the computers has now been mitigated following a gradual regaining of control of the hacked computer systems.
Speaking to a source, Waller McGuire, St Louis libraries’ executive director said, all services were being restored without a single cent spent on ransom to the attackers.
Ascertaining earlier investigative reports on this new threat to global security, Intel Security said, ransomware attacks are growing in "alarming" numbers.
Mr. McGuire further disclosed that technical staffs across libraries in the Missouri state city had been working "through the night and weekend" to restore access to the affected servers, using the library's back-up system to restore them. Adding that regaining access to the system to allow for the borrowing of books had been their chief priority and that goal was now met.
The executive director also disclosed they have “been working with the FBI to identify how criminals broke into our system and correct the problem.â€
He apologized to patrons “for any inconvenience this incident has caused: on most days’ thousands of St Louis Public Library patrons check out materials and use computers for many purposesâ€. Stating that "the real victims of this criminal attack are the library's patrons."
Finally, he noted that "an attempt to hold information and access to the world for ransom is deeply frightening and offensive to any public library, and we will make every effort to keep that world available to our patrons".
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