EKZ Bibliotheksservice, one of the largest library services in Germany, was hit by a ransomware attack that left users unable to rent and borrow eBooks, audio books, and electronic magazines.
EKZ said in an FAQ on its website on Tuesday that it’s trying to fix the damage caused by the attack and to see if any personal data was stolen.
At the moment, however, orders cannot be made online. Orders submitted via email, fax, or telephone also cannot be completed currently.
Onleihe, a popular app that connects users via EKZ’s service to their local libraries to borrow eBooks and audiobooks, reported on Tuesday that its copy-protected eBooks had been deleted in what it called a “process error.” Onleihe said that these eBooks would need to be re-encrypted and that it has made “incremental progress” in uploading them once more.
Additionally, Onleihe apologized that its user forum was currently unavailable, and said it aims to make it accessible again “as soon as possible.”
According to reports, Lockbit ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for the attack. Lockbit also claimed on its leak site on the dark web to have published stolen data from EKZ. This is presumably due to the fact that its ransom demands have not yet been met.
Law enforcement agencies in Germany have been informed of the attack and security breach on EKZ.