The British Museum faced a security incident linked to a disgruntled dismissed IT contractor who disrupted core systems, forcing temporary closure of exhibitions over the weekend of January 25-26. The incident primarily affected ticketing and required police intervention, leading to the contractor's arrest. Although the disruption was significant enough to close two special exhibitions, the museum reported minimal long-term impact compared to other cyber attacks, emphasizing the vital need for organizations to guard against insider threats and potential operational disruptions.
The incident shuttered two of the museum's ongoing special exhibitions, one on the history of the ancient Silk Road trading network connecting Asia and Europe, and one on the prints of Pablo Picasso.
“With regret, our temporary exhibitions were closed over the weekend - ticket holders were alerted and refunds offered.”
...its long-term impact is unlikely to be as significant as similar attacks against other cultural institutions, such as the autumn 2022 Rhysida ransomware attack on the British Library.
All organizations must pay close attention to the potential for IT disruption arising from insider actions as their impacts can be wide-ranging, and costly.
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