Toronto Public Library says some services won’t be restored until January following cyberattack

The Toronto Public Library (TPL) says it is still dealing with some service issues following last month’s cyber attack, and that its systems will remain offline until January 2024.

“Given the complexity and magnitude of this task involving TPL’s data centre and computers across 100 library branches, and the interconnectivity of our systems, we anticipate the restoration of library services will take several more weeks,” the TPL said in an update on its website on Thursday.

“Access to services will be restored gradually beginning in January, with priority given to the reinstatement of tpl.ca and public computing services.”

The library says hackers stole a large number of files from the library’s network in an cybersecurity incident, which was first announced on October 28.

It is believed personal information from TPL staff, including names, social insurance numbers, and home addresses — dating as far back as 1998 — have been affected.

The library did not pay the ransom and says it is aware some of the stolen data may end up on the dark web.

The library’s network of 100 branches remains open to the public but many of the services that residents rely on are still unavailable, such as the library’s website, “your account” service, tpl:map passes and digital collections.

“Over the past several weeks, TPL staff, along with third-party experts, have been working around the clock to restore our systems and enhance network security. This work involves ensuring the security and integrity of each system before bringing it back online,” the library says.

With files from Michael Ranger