It is unclear whether St. Helena Public Library patron data was compromised after a cyberattack on the library's sister library in Solano County.
Hackers attacked the Solano Partner Library and St. Helena (SPLASH) computer network on April 5, threatening to release the stolen data unless they received a $100,000 ransom.
The attack primarily affected nine libraries in Solano County, disrupting public internet access and internal records management systems, according to a news release issued by the City of St. Helena.
St. Helena Library uses a separate cloud-based system to store data. The city has warned that “some data may have been leaked,'' but as of Saturday afternoon, no leaks had been confirmed.
As of Saturday, St. Helena Library is open and fully operational with internet, Wi-Fi, computers and phones.
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“The City of St. Helena, including the St. Helena Public Library, takes this matter very seriously and would like to assure the community that we will continue to take steps to keep all information safe.” is written in the statement. “Our team is working with cybersecurity experts to investigate the cause of the attack, assess any impact to our systems, and take appropriate steps to strengthen our security protocols.”
Although the St. Helena Library does not store bank or credit card information, the city will ask cardholders to monitor their financial accounts and flag suspicious activity in case other personal information is used to open fraudulent accounts. We recommend that you be careful.
“Also, please be careful about unsolicited communications purporting to be from libraries or related parties, as they may be an attempt to exploit this situation,'' the city warns.
If you have any concerns or questions, please contact the library at 707-963-5244 or SHLibrary@cityofsthelena.org.
Ransomware attacks most target these 5 sectors
Ransomware attacks most target these 5 sectors
#5. Financial operations
#4. Information technology
#3. Government facilities
#2. Important manufacturing industry
#1. Healthcare and public health
Jesse Duarte can be reached at 707-967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com.