Computer labs at Delaware libraries across the state are closed after hackers on Friday seized control of the virtual servers that run the facility’s public-use computers, according to Delaware Division of Libraries Director Annie Norman.
The hackers now are demanding money from the state in order to relinquish control of the system, Norman said. She did not know the exact amount demanded but said she “heard” it was around $1 million.
Norman added that she will direct the Division of Libraries not to pay any ransom, insisting instead that the Delaware libraries rebuild the servers that run the public’s computers.
She did not immediately know when the rebuild will occur, nor when the public-access computers will again be available.
“We see a lot of stories about this around the nation, and it seems to be recommended not to pay the ransom, but to rebuild,” she said.
The hack marks the latest in a trend of high-profile breaches of local government computer systems across the United States. On its website, the FBI notes that state and local governments have been “particularly visible targets for ransomware attacks.”