Ransomware gang says it stole personal data in cyber attack on Pierce County, WA libraries

Ransomware gang Inc yesterday took credit for an April 2025 cyber attack that disrupted libraries in Pierce County, Washington.

Inc listed the Pierce County Library System on its data leak site and claims to have stolen personal data in the attack. As proof, Inc posted images of files it claims to have stolen. The proof pack includes scans of driver’s licenses and passports, and what Inc says are internal library documents.

The Pierce County Library has not verified Inc’s claim and has not disclosed a data breach as of time of writing. It did acknowledge a cyber attack on April 21, 2025 that crippled many library services, including access to the library catalog, self-checkout, applications for new library cards, printing, and access to library computers.

Most library services have been restored as of May 20, 2025, according to an update posted on the library’s official website. But, it says, “Some library card account features, such as holds, checkout histories, and current checkouts may still be in the process of being fully restored.”

We do not yet know what personal data was compromised, how many people are affected, if the Pierce County Library System paid a ransom, how much Inc demanded, or how attackers breached the Library System’s network.

In response to Comparitech’s questions, Mary Getchell, Pierce County Library System’s marketing and communications director, told Comparitech, “The investigation is still ongoing,” and, “The Library System notified cardholders via email and the public via news media and Facebook.”

Who is Inc?

Inc Ransomware emerged in July 2023 and targets a wide range of victims in healthcare, education, and government. Its methods involve spear phishing and exploiting known vulnerabilities in software. Once infected, Inc’s malware both steals data and locks down computer systems until a ransom is paid to unlock them.

Since it began, Inc has claimed responsibility for 92 confirmed ransomware attacks, plus 220 unconfirmed claims that haven’t been acknowledged by the targeted organizations.

In 2025 to date, it took credit for 12 confirmed attacks and 87 unconfirmed claims. In addition to Pierce County Library System, three of those attacks hit government entities:

Ransomware attacks on US government

In 2025 so far, Comparitech researchers have logged 25 confirmed ransomware attacks on US government entities, plus another 27 unconfirmed claims.

In April alone, such attacks struck:

Ransomware attacks on US government agencies and departments can both steal data and lock down computer systems. The attacker then demands a ransom to delete the stolen data and in exchange for a key to recover infected systems. If the target doesn’t pay, it could take weeks or even months to restore systems, data could be lost forever, and people whose data was stolen are put at greater risk of fraud.

About Pierce County Library System

The Pierce County Library System consists of 19 libraries in the second largest county in Washington, plus an online catalog.