Huge cyber-attack cripples the British Library: Hackers hold institution to ransom by threatening to sell off stolen data in online auction that could make criminals millions after ransom-ware attack 'WEEKS ago'

Hackers have threatened to auction off 'exclusive, unique, and impressive' data that was allegedly stolen from the British Library during a cyber attack.

Rhysida ransomware group has taken responsibility for the attack last month that caused a 'major technology outage' at the research library in London and is now planning to sell stolen data in an auction next week, The Register reported.

The hacker group said bidding will start at 20 Bitcoin - approximately £30,000 - and has encouraged internet users to 'open your wallets and be ready to buy exclusive data'.

The library, which has not responded to requests for comment regarding the alleged auction, confirmed today that some 'internal HR files' had been leaked following a cyber attack at the end of October. 

While it is unclear exactly what exact data the group obtained during the attack, an image posted on its site appears to show passport scans, HMRC employment paperwork and other personal documentation.

It comes after the British Library revealed last week that officials are still working to determine the full extent of the attack.

The British Library, which has a large deposit of the UK and world's book collections, suffered a 'major technology outage' on October 31 this year, impacting its public site and online services. 

The library last week confirmed the incident was 'ransomware in nature' but Rhysida, which is believed to be behind several major attacks globally, only took claim over the attack today.

The group announced the auction will take place next Monday at 8am and the data will only be given to a single bidder.

'We sell only to one hand, no reselling, you will be the only owner,' Rhysida posted on its website today, adding that it would not respond to potential buyers' who make an offer that 'looks like a joke'.

Although Rhysida has apparently taken responsibility for the attack, MailOnline was not able to independently verify the claim.

The library has also not yet acknowledged the looming auction, but today admitted that 'some data has been leaked'.

'This appears to be from our internal HR files,' the British Library posted on X, formerly Twitter. 'We have no evidence that data of our users has been compromised.'

The institution confirmed it is continuing to experience a 'major technology outage' as a result of the attack and says its its website, online systems and services, and some onsite services remain affected.

'We anticipate restoring many services in the next few weeks, but some disruption may persist for longer,' the statement added. 

Although the library says users' data was not included in the leak, officials did recommend that 'if you have a British Library login and your password is used elsewhere, we recommend changing it as a precautionary measure'.

The library added: 'In the meantime, we've taken targeted protective measures to ensure the integrity of our systems, and we're continuing to investigate the attack with the support of NCSC, the Metropolitan Police and cyber security specialists. 

'Thank you for bearing with us during this investigation. We'll update you as soon as we can.'

MailOnline has approached the library for comment. 

The British Library boasts that it contains more than 170 million, including 13.5m printed books and e-books, rare manuscripts, maps, stamps, sound recordings, photographs and music.

In 2022, it spent £1,300 on introducing pronoun badges for staff, despite its own risk assessment warning the move could appear 'too woke'.