Calgary Public Library Implements Pathway to Recovery Following Cybersecurity Breach

Library to restore services through three staged operational approach

Following the containment of a recent cybersecurity breach, Calgary Public Library (the Library) has now concluded its investigation and is focusing on operational recovery as it moves toward restoring full services.  

The Library’s Technology Team and existing cybersecurity partners engaged a Microsoft Incident Response team to support containment procedures and complete a thorough investigation. The findings of the investigation confirm that while servers were compromised, no business, employee or membership data was affected. The incident was identified as an attempted ransomware attack, which the Library’s monitoring systems successfully blocked. The Library was not in communication with any threat agent during this period and has provided information to appropriate authorities to support further investigation.  

Despite successfully detecting a breach and blocking the ransomware attack, the Library still experienced a significant service disruption due to containment measures and the process to secure and restore servers and systems. The decision to proactively shut down all systems during containment efforts was crucial in safeguarding the Library’s infrastructure and significantly reducing the risk of data exposure.  

“The safety of systems and data remains the highest priority as we move forward in our recovery,” says Sarah Meilleur, CEO of Calgary Public Library. “We are deeply grateful for the continued support, understanding and dedication of our employees, partners, volunteers, and members as we work diligently to ensure the safe return of all services. I also want to applaud our incredible team for their swift response during this time. It is important to know that a cyberbreach is very difficult to prevent. It is the response that makes the difference, and our team acted purposefully to ensure the breach was halted as effectively as possible.” 

The Library is implementing Pathway to Recovery — a three staged operational approach, sequenced to provide secure infrastructure and access before expanding to public services. The first stage involves restoring secure staff networks and devices, allowing for communication and connectivity across all 23 Library worksites. Stage two will focus on reintroducing some digital and technology services in our locations and the last stage will be restoration of full technology services at the Library. 

For information on available services and the Library’s recovery, visit calgarylibrary.ca/comeback.