A number of services at the Toronto Public Library could continue to be offline for another week “or more” following a cyberattack that was first reported nine days ago.
In an update issued on Monday, TPL officials said that they continue to “actively” address the Oct. 28 cyberattack and have found no evidence that the personal information of staff or customers has been compromised.
But the officials say that a number of services do remain offline, including the Toronto Public Library website, online access to user accounts, digital collections and public computers and printing services at its branches.
“Based on our progress to date, we anticipate that it will take a week or more before all systems are fully restored to normal operations. However, we expect that some services will be brought back online before then,” the update notes. “We appreciate all the words of support that we've received, and thank you for your patience and understanding while we do everything we can to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”
The TPL has released few details about the “cybersecurity issue” which brought down numerous services last month.
It has, however, said that it “promptly initiated measures to mitigate potential impacts” and has “engaged with third-party cybersecurity experts and law enforcement” to help with resolving the situation.
All TPL branches have remained open since the incident was first reported. Library officials say that Wi-Fi and telephone services also remain available within branches.
“Materials can be borrowed and returned in branches until further notice,” Monday’s update notes.
The cyberattack impacting the Toronto Public Library came just days before six Ontario hospitals and healthcare institutions confirmed that some of their data had been stolen in a ransomware attack. Portions of that data have since been posted online.
