News Be careful opening suspicious emails or even “click-bait” links on the internet. Two weeks ago a major bookseller for libraries and bookstores, Baker & Taylor, was hit with a ransomware attack. Ransomware is “a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.” (Dictionary.com, 2022) While we don’t know the details of how Baker & Taylor was hit a malicious email with an attachment or link is the most used method. Once an attacker has access to your network they take over locking you out and asking for a ransom to release your data back to you. While ransomware is often targeted at businesses individual users can be tricked into paying a ransom to gain back control of their computer when typically all you need to do is shutdown the computer and turn it back on.
All this to say, no one has been able to access the Baker & Taylor website in two weeks. As this month is the end of the fiscal year for many libraries this has left many searching for alternative places to spend whatever material money they may still have available. Baker & Taylor will lose many dollars this month as libraries are unable to process carts they had started or be able to put in new orders.
So far it seems that Baker & Taylor is still able to ship out orders that had been processed as I received an order last week. Luckily I had submitted our September preorder before this attack happened so you should not see an interruption to all the great new releases that are coming in September! September is also a big publishing month for many big publishing houses. I just thought you’d like this behind the scenes look into the library world. New books are still arriving, come check them out!
