British Library

The October 2023 ransomware attack on the British Library destroyed the institution’s entire technology infrastructure, affecting access to one of the world’s most significant knowledge collections. This attack highlights the devastating impact of cyber threats on essential services.

Source: https://cybersecuritynews.com/uk-bans-ransomware-payments/

TPRM report: https://scoringcyber.rankiteo.com/company/the-british-library

"id": "the952072325",
"linkid": "the-british-library",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "7/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Education',
                        'location': 'UK',
                        'name': 'British Library',
                        'type': 'Public Sector'},
                       {'industry': 'Healthcare',
                        'location': 'UK',
                        'name': 'NHS',
                        'type': 'Public Sector'},
                       {'industry': 'Education',
                        'location': 'UK',
                        'name': 'Schools',
                        'type': 'Public Sector'},
                       {'industry': 'Government',
                        'location': 'UK',
                        'name': 'Local Councils',
                        'type': 'Public Sector'},
                       {'industry': ['Energy',
                                     'Transportation',
                                     'Telecommunications'],
                        'location': 'UK',
                        'name': 'Critical National Infrastructure Operators',
                        'type': 'Public Sector'}],
 'data_breach': {'data_encryption': ['AES-256', 'RSA-2048'],
                 'data_exfiltration': ['Encrypted file systems',
                                       'Sensitive data']},
 'description': 'The UK government has announced comprehensive measures to '
                'tackle ransomware attacks, including a ban on paying ransom '
                'demands for public sector organizations and critical national '
                'infrastructure operators.',
 'impact': {'operational_impact': ['Access to knowledge collections',
                                   'Patient fatalities in NHS organizations'],
            'systems_affected': ['Technology infrastructure of the British '
                                 'Library']},
 'lessons_learned': 'The measures represent a fundamental shift in approaching '
                    'ransomware threats, aiming to disrupt the cyber criminal '
                    'business model while protecting critical services.',
 'motivation': 'Financial',
 'ransomware': {'data_encryption': ['AES-256', 'RSA-2048'],
                'data_exfiltration': True},
 'recommendations': ['Adopt Cyber Essentials certification framework',
                     'Utilize NCSC Early Warning service'],
 'references': [{'source': 'UK Government Announcement'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['Mandatory incident '
                                                        'notification '
                                                        'protocols']},
 'response': {'containment_measures': ['Robust backup strategies',
                                       'Air-gapped storage systems',
                                       'Tested disaster recovery procedures'],
              'enhanced_monitoring': ['NCSC Early Warning service'],
              'law_enforcement_notified': True},
 'title': 'UK Government Bans Ransomware Payments for Public Sector and '
          'Critical Infrastructure',
 'type': 'Ransomware'}