FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Fort Bend County Commissioners Court has approved spending nearly $2.7 million on IT contracts following a county library system "cybersecurity incident."
The county operates 12 library locations that are spread from Katy to Needville and all have been effected by the incident.
"The library does not store personal information from patrons that could easily be used to commit identity theft or fraud—such as social security numbers or financial information," library director Roosevelt Weeks said. "The library intentionally limits the types of personal information it collects from patrons."
Library staff identified the "network disruption" on Feb. 24. Shortly thereafter, the library established a new website address.
"We are currently investigating the cause of the incident," Weeks said in a statement distributed on Wednesday, March 13. "We are working with County IT professionals and following best practices to ensure our systems and data remain secure. We will be able to provide more information once we have completed our investigation."
Despite the ongoing network issues, all library branches remain open. Patrons can still borrow physical materials with an unexpired library card and access eBooks through platforms like OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla.
Hoopla, a digital platform offering music, video and audiobook streaming, was restored on Monday but the catalog, access to patron's personal accounts, the Wall Street Journal, LinkedIn Learning, Hotspots and Launchpads were still unavailable at the time this story was published.
The library has suspended all late fees until the network disruption is fully resolved.
A statement from the Fort Bend Libraries provided the following answers to frequently asked questions:
Q: Why is the library experiencing network disruptions? On February 24th, the library became aware of a cybersecurity incident that impacted some its services. Upon learning of the incident, our staff took immediate action and most online resources have since been restored. We are currently investigating the cause of the incident. While this investigation remains ongoing, the library remains operational. Where appropriate, we will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Q: Was the library hacked? We are currently investigating the cause of the incident. We are working with County IT professionals and following best practices to ensure our systems and data remain secure. We will be able to provide more information once we have completed our investigation.
Q: Is my personal information at risk? At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that the sensitive personal information of patrons has been compromised. In addition, the library takes proactive measures to limit its collection of personal information, avoiding collecting the types of information that would put patrons at risk of identity theft.
Q: What personal information does the library have? When you sign up for a library card, the library collects your name, address, phone number, email address, and date of birth. The library does not collect patrons’ personal information such as social security number, driver’s license number, or financial account information.
Q: I use computers at the library – is my search history at risk? No, library computers are equipped with software that erases user data after each patron’s session.
Q: Why was Fort Bend’s library subject to a cybersecurity incident and other libraries were not? For example, the Houston library is online, but the Fort Bend County library has been without internet for over a week? Each library system operates on a separate network. We are collaborating with County IT professionals and following best practices to ensure we securely restore access to our systems. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, and we appreciate your patience.
Q: What are you doing to address this incident? We are currently investigating the cause of the incident. We are working with County IT professionals and following best practices to ensure we securely restore access to our systems. We will be able to provide more information once we have completed our investigation.
Q: When will services be back online? We are making every effort to restore access to all services as soon as possible. Most services have already been restored. However, since our investigation remains ongoing, we cannot provide a firm timeline.
Q: Why can’t you share more information right now? Our investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing. We will be able to provide more information once we have completed the investigation.
Q: How can I access library materials and services in the meantime? Physical items: Our branches remain open, and library patrons may continue to browse and borrow physical items with an unexpired library card.
Online Services: Library patrons still have access to eBooks via OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla. Should you have any questions on how to access eBooks, please contact our librarians who will be happy to assist you with gaining access to these materials.
Contact Information: If you need assistance or have further questions, our librarians are available to assist via the online chat feature, telephone, or email. As always, our librarians are available to assist you during operating hours in-person at any of our branches.
Please continue to check our website for the latest updates.
Q: Will the library still issue late fees? No, all overdue fines are waived until the network disruption has been resolved.
Q: How can I receive the latest updates? We will continue to share updates on our website.
The owner of Covering Katy News is employed by Fort Bend County.