What can businesses learn from the British Library cyber attack?

Those unaware of modern cyber attacks may believe that having a strong IT team with appropriate firewalls and monitoring facilities is sufficient to eliminate the threat of attacks. This lack of knowledge can make them prime targets for scammers. Adequate training and a culture of awareness within your working environment are essential for stronger prevention.

From a cyber perspective, a business is only as strong as its weakest link. Therefore, consistent awareness among all staff is imperative in the fight against cyber crime.

But is awareness sufficient? How does a business ensure all its employees are giving appropriate consideration to cyber risks?

This article will explore the British Library (BL) cyber attack in October 2023. The BL published a comprehensive report within six months of the attack, ensuring transparency and accountability. This report has been widely publicised and is prompting other organisations to review their own cyber policies and practices.

What happened in the BL cyber attack?

The BL incident involved an advanced ransomware attack that compromised their systems and data through a single server entry point. The hackers encrypted or destroyed a large portion of BL data and then removed it from its servers, ultimately selling it on the dark web after BL refused to pay the ransom of 20 bitcoins (~£596,000). The stolen data included sensitive material requiring direct contact with affected individuals and 600GB of data was released onto the dark web for anyone to access.

In addition to losing data, the encryption of the servers has made recovery a significant challenge, with restoration efforts still ongoing after six months. The library’s operations have been severely impacted, as electronic cataloguing and search functions are offline, hindering visitors’ ability to access information.

Furthermore, the BL cannot restore its systems to pre-attack conditions due to unsupported software or incompatibility with the new security infrastructure. The attack has had significant financial consequences also, with an estimated £6–7 million needed for recovery. Devastatingly, BL has assessed that an investment of only £50,000 could have prevented this attack.

What can I do to prevent cyber attacks?

As part of its report, BL released a list of important lessons learned. We feel it is important to share these with you for consideration in your own business:

Our recent Business Challenges article may also provide further advice from our Price Bailey experts.

  1. Enhance network monitoring capabilities
  2. Retain on-call external security expertise
  3. Fully implement multi-factor authentication
  4. Enhance intrusion response processes
  5. Implement network segmentation
  6. Practice comprehensive business continuity plans
  7. Maintain a holistic overview of cyber risk
  8. Manage system lifecycles to eliminate legacy technology
  9. Prioritise remediation of issues arising from legacy technology
  10. Prioritise recovery alongside security
  11. Encourage cyber risk awareness and expertise at senior level
  12. Regularly train all staff in identifying evolving risks
  13. Proactively manage staff and user wellbeing
  14. Review acceptable personal use of IT
  15. Collaborate with sector peers
  16. Regularly implement government standards, review and audit policies and processes

In the modern era, cyber threats have become increasingly hazardous, but many of us remain unaware of how dangerous hackers could be to a business. Very often, someone only gains an understanding of the true impact of a cyber threat when they have experienced a disaster first hand; but this does not have to be the case.

If users at all levels become familiar with what threats look like, how to deal with them, and what the consequences could be, businesses will naturally become much more secure and cyber threats organically can reduce in size and frequency.

I think if everyone were to read 5 minutes on what happened at the British Library, at the Harris Academy Federation, or the various NHS cyber incidents that have happened throughout the years, then the business world would be a safer and more secure place.

James Hart, Corporate Manager

The information shared by the British Library is a useful reminder that even well-established institutions are vulnerable to sophisticated cyber threats. The incident highlights the importance of not only having technical defences but also fostering a proactive, security-conscious culture across all levels of a business. Cybersecurity is not just the responsibility of the IT team it is a shared duty that requires vigilance from every employee. Investing in training, technology, and ongoing policy reviews is essential for staying ahead in the ever-evolving battle against cyber crime.

We always recommend that you seek advice from a suitably qualified adviser before taking any action. The information in this article only serves as a guide and no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of this material can be accepted by the authors or the firm.

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