We have probably all heard about ransomware attacks on organizations, but it’s hard to believe libraries could be a target of these coordinated attacks.

But those ideas are wrong; and this week the St Louis Public Library is serving as our latest warning.

“Hackers have infected every public computer in the St. Louis Public Library system, stopping all book borrowing and cutting off internet access to those who rely on it for computers.

The computer system was hit by ransomware, a particularly nasty type of computer virus that encrypts computer files.

According to the library, hackers demanded $35,000 in the electronic currency Bitcoin — but the library refuses to pay. Instead, it’ll wipe the entire computer system and reset it, which could take days or weeks. Continue reading Ransomware hits St. Louis Public Library! →