Laramie County Library System Hit By Cyberattack

The Laramie County Library System was targeted by a ransomware attack earlier this week.

That's according to a library system news release.

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According to the release, the attack happened early on Tuesday morning, January 7. The attack shut down library services and immobilized most digital services, but the library Information technology team was able to roll back the effects of the attack and resume regular services by about 9 a.m. According to the release, the ransomware attack was aimed at forcing the system to make a bitcoin payment rather than stealing important information.

Ransomware attacks against governmental entities, private businesses, hospitals and other organizations are quite common. Generally they attempt to freeze all digital operations until some kind of ransom is paid to the cybercriminals behind the attack.

Ransomware Attacks Are Becoming More Common

According to the release  SANS, the largest cybersecurity research organization in the world, reported an alarming 73% increase in ransomware attacks in 2023, and that trend has only continued in subsequent years. “We at the library take cybersecurity very seriously,” says Antonia Gaona, Executive Director of LCLS. “But the increasing sophistication of malicious actors makes it very difficult for public institutions with limited resources to stay ahead of the curve. We will be conducting an audit of our security measures to try and prevent similar disruptions to service in the future.”

The release says the library is conducting a security sweep to make sure all data is secure. Library patron information is held by the Wyoming State Library and is safe, according to the release.