2026 Queens Public Library — ransomware attack; systems encrypted
Data compromised
No public census of stolen patron records. Confirmed operational impact: website, mobile app, on-site computers, digital media, printers and, at first, Wi-Fi and checkout machines across 66 branches. Wi-Fi and checkout were partly restored by 8 November. Patron-data theft unpublished. recordsAffected 0.
Technical writeup
CEO Dennis M. Walcott update 8 Nov 2026 via ABC7. Catalog as confirmed ransomware with unpublished data theft. Do not invent a patron-file census.
Root cause
Queens Public Library confirmed a ransomware attack on 5 November 2026 after afternoon outages. Systems were encrypted. The library is working with law enforcement and outside specialists. No group had claimed the attack as of 6 November. Data theft not disclosed.