Seattle Public Library’s services remain limited today after a ransomware attack took much of the library’s technology systems offline.  

In a blog post, the Library said it had been preparing to take computer systems down for maintenance over Memorial Day Weekend when workers discovered a ransomware event affecting the entire network.

At this point, it is unclear what the ransomware attackers are after, or how long it will take for the Seattle Public Library’s systems to be back to full operation.
 
Ransomware attacks against large institutions have multiplied in recent years. This week, a hacker group claimed credit for an attack on the auction house Christie’s. The group has threatened to release sensitive information about art collectors unless demands were met.   

Soundside is joined by Quentin Hodgson, a senior researcher specializing in cybersecurity at RAND, a non-profit, non-partisan research organization, to discuss the proliferation of ransomware attacks in recent years.