"An attempted cyberintrusion" affected 600 computers, said Kevin Captain, a spokesman for Volusia County.
The county is investigating, Captain said.
"The county's technology staff were immediately notified and coordinated recovery efforts with library staff," Captain said in a news release late Friday. "Approximately 50 computers are back online, enabling library staff to perform patron business, such as checking books in and out, and making reservations."
The library's web page was not affected.
Libraries have remained open during normal hours, and patrons have been able to borrow materials. County officials have been able to bring about 50 computers online for staff.
The public is able to use the libraries' public Wi-Fi on personal devices.
The five regional libraries are expected to have public-access computers with Internet connections by the end of the day Friday. They are: Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Deltona and DeLand.
Community libraries' connections will "follow suit," Captain said.
Patrons have told The News-Journal they are able to use public-access computers in other counties with reciprocal agreements with Volusia, including Flagler, Brevard and Lake counties.
Emsisoft, a maker of anti-virus and anti-malware software, released a report in December saying U.S. governments were "hit by a an unprecedented and unrelenting barrage of ransomware attacks" impacting at least 966 agencies and institutions in 2019. It estimated the cost at $7.5 billion.
©2020 The News-Journal, Daytona Beach, Fla. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
