Anatomy of a Crisis: Deconstructing the British Library Cyber Attack

In October 2023, the British Library suffered one of the UK’s most damaging ransomware attacks, causing widespread disruption to digital services, restricting access to collections and triggering a recovery programme that continues more than 2 years later.

This report examines how a single cyber attack escalated into a long-tail operational crisis, exposing the risks of legacy infrastructure, gaps in recovery capabilities, and the realities of rebuilding after ransomware.

Download the report to explore:

• How the British Library cyber attack unfolded
• Why recovery became so prolonged and complex
• The operational, financial and reputational impact of the incident
• How the Library approached containment, crisis management and rebuilding
• The role legacy technology played in amplifying disruption
• 8 practical resilience lessons for organisations preparing for major cyber incidents