January 8, 2024 at 05:19PM
The Toronto Zoo experienced a ransomware attack with no impact on animals or operations. They are investigating potential effects on guest and donor records and are working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts. In a similar incident, the Toronto Public Library was attacked, causing service disruptions and data theft. The library is also working with experts to investigate.
From the meeting notes provided, the Toronto Zoo recently experienced a ransomware attack, which did not impact its animals, website, or day-to-day operations. The zoo assured that it does not store credit card information and is investigating whether the incident affected its guests’, members’, or donors’ records. It has reported the incident to the Toronto Police Service and is working with third-party cyber security experts and the City of Toronto’s Chief Information Security Office to assess the extent of the damage.
The Toronto Public Library (TPL) was also hit by a Black Basta ransomware attack on October 27. Many of its services, including the website, public computers, and digital archive, are still unavailable. The attackers stole files containing personal information of employees, customers, volunteers, and donors, and the library is working with external cybersecurity experts to investigate the attack. It confirmed that it did not pay the ransom and is dealing with the aftermath.
These incidents have caused disruptions to the operations of two significant institutions in the city of Toronto.