Queens Public library under ransomware attack e-borrowing suspended

This happened in seattle a few years ago. Computer systems were down for months. They just let everyone borrow using an honor system.

https://spotlightdelaware.org/2024/09/23/delaware-libraries-...

This happened to my state's library system a while back. Public computers and free wifi were down for a few months, but no major disruptions of lending services. I don't think the state paid any ransom, instead they just repaired their systems.

So I do support authors being paid fairly for their work, with attribution, yet I do not support DRM.

Since we are talking about e-borrowing I assume DRM are involved. If they are not, ignore the rest.

The point of DRM (ignoring their terrible side effect) is precisely to keep on controlling data even after content has been released. There is a validation mechanism (typically pinging back the digital right owner) to insure that the file can indeed be read. So... do not validate all the signed books already out, issue a new key for the library to "e-borrow" (hate that term) once again. Why is this even taking more than 1min? I don't get it. It feels like once again in theory it could be positive but in practice the negative side effects of DRMs trump out everything.

That seems a pretty terrible target for ransomware, it's not like public libraries have huge amounts of money.

Today I learned that Queens has a public library system that predated the consolidated New York City library system and fiercely fought to maintain independence rather than come under the control of a Manhattan-based system

It’s a library.

Wipe the system and start again.

The post headline could use some punctuation.

Is this due to the php vulnerability from a few weeks ago? Guessing they were on some php-based cms, and their staff never got around to fixing it in time.

I see a lot of people bemoaning the loss of a public service, but honestly I'm not sure the public library is an important service. At one time, yes, it represented access to knowledge for everyone. For everyone talking about how important this is, I'm curious how many have visited a library in the last 5 years to actually get a book.

Today, it could probably disappear and no one would miss it. There's a reason these places operate on a shoestring budget and haven't bothered to update software security. The services we value, we pay for or vote for. If there was a proposition to close libraries in favor of some other minor benefit (e.g. one extra field trip for every school child per year), it would probably lose badly.

Probably most of the relevant functions of a library can be accomplished by other more efficient means. Student loan forgiveness (librarians), homeless shelters with computers, and free daycare for kids. That's basically what people use it for now, and all can be better done if we just admit what its for and do that instead.

Unfortunately, QPL has suffered a ransomware incident and currently much of the online access is unavailable

I wish the headlines around such things were more honest and would just say the truth: "$company is currently offline because we never really invested in security and thought we could just wing it"