The Ryuk ransomware attack July 17 on the computers of all Butler County libraries has left librarians and IT staff scrambling.

More than two weeks after the computers of the Butler County Federated Library System were targeted by ransomware, many libraries reported they are unable to offer library patrons the use of public computers and Wi-Fi.

Others, such as the Cranberry Public Library at 2525 Rochester Road, were back to full service in a relatively short time.

Leslie Pallotta, director of the Cranberry library, said all services have been restored since July 23.

“Patrons have public computer access, and our Wi-Fi was never impacted at all,” Pallotta said. “The only thing we cannot do in Cranberry is place a hold on books because the other libraries don't have access to the holds.”

Last month's Ryuk ransomware attack on Butler County libraries requires new network configurations for security purposes, the federated system's website says.

Ransomware is a name for a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

Pallotta said the ransomware never made a big impact on her library because its computers are separate from the federated system.

Last week, Lori Hinderliter, executive director of the Butler Area Public Library at 218 N. McKean St., said, “We are still without access and are working to get things up and running.”

“We have no public computers, no computers at all, and we are checking materials the old-fashioned way,” she said.

Cheryl Ferraro, system administrator of the federated library system, noted last week that the library was in the process of determining how to restore or replace equipment.

“We don't have an exact date to have everything back to normal,” Ferraro said. “We're moving toward getting everything back to operational.”