March 28, 2024 at 06:06AM
The British Library suffered a destructive ransomware attack in October 2023, with recovery efforts lasting until mid-April 2024. The attack by Rhysida led to data exfiltration, encrypted systems, and server destruction. Lessons learned include the importance of MFA, upgrading legacy systems, network segmentation, cloud usage, secure backups, financial preparedness, and staff remuneration reconsideration.
Here are the key takeaways from the meeting notes:
1. The ransomware attack on the British Library was highly destructive, with significant data exfiltration and system encryption.
2. The attackers, identified as Rhysida, used tactics that were previously associated with the Vice Society, and they have targeted multiple victims, including the MarineMax attack.
3. Lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA) on some servers was considered a contributing factor to the attack, highlighting the need to improve MFA and Privileged Access Management (PAM).
4. The attack exposed vulnerabilities in legacy systems and underscored the importance of network segmentation and cloud-based infrastructure.
5. The importance of secure, offsite backups and financial preparedness, including accessing emergency funds, was emphasized.
6. There is a need to reconsider how the organization remunerates high-demand IT skills and to take advantage of the opportunity to implement significant changes in policies, processes, and technology as a result of the attack.
These takeaways will guide future discussions and actions to strengthen the organization’s cybersecurity posture and resilience against similar attacks.