British Library cyberattack: Key takeaways to keep data secure now

TLDR:

Key Takeaways From the British Library Cyberattack:

• The British Library was hit by a cyberattack in October 2023, costing them £7 million in recovery costs.
• The attackers breached the library through a Terminal Services server, compromising privileged account credentials.

Article Summary:

In October 2023, the British Library experienced a devastating cyberattack that took down its website and online services. The attack cost the library £7 million in recovery costs, showcasing the importance of protecting legacy infrastructure and digitized intellectual property from sophisticated cyber threats. The attackers gained unauthorized access through a Terminal Services server, possibly via compromised credentials. The ransomware group Rhysida demanded 20 bitcoins from the library and released sensitive data when the ransom was not paid. Organizations can learn valuable lessons from this attack, such as assessing technical debt, maintaining a holistic view of cyber risk, practicing good information governance, and adopting a defense-in-depth approach. The incident serves as a warning for knowledge institutions with similar risks, highlighting the need for robust cybersecurity measures in the face of evolving threats.