• The British Museum faced partial closure due to an IT attack by a dismissed contractor.
• The incident resulted in the shutdown of key systems, impacting ticketing and access to exhibitions.
• A police investigation is ongoing following the arrest of the former employee.
• This event comes amid ongoing scrutiny over security issues within the museum.
• The museum continues to face challenges related to stolen artifacts from its collection.

The British Museum, the United Kingdom's most frequented tourist attraction, announced it was partly closed on Saturday after a former employee allegedly broke in and disrupted its IT infrastructure. This incident, which took place on Thursday, prompted the museum management to close both temporary exhibitions and parts of its permanent collections as investigations commenced, as detailed in a statement released by the museum.

According to reports from AP News and The Guardian, the individual, an IT contractor dismissed just days prior, was found on museum premises, where he reportedly caused extensive damage to various systems, including those crucial for ticketing and exhibition management.

The Metropolitan Police addressed the incident, confirming that they responded to reports of a break-in and arrested a man in his 50s on allegations of burglary and criminal damage; he has since been released on bail while the investigation continues. “An IT contractor who was dismissed last week trespassed into the museum and shut down several of our systems,” the museum stated, as included in a CNN report.

This latest disruption adds to the museum's ongoing challenges, including the loss of over 1,800 artifacts allegedly stolen by a former curator. The British Museum recently dealt with a high-profile departure of its director, Hartwig Fischer, who resigned amidst criticisms regarding the management's oversight of artifacts and broader security vulnerabilities.

Considering the serious implications of this incident, the museum is striving to restore its operational stability while addressing the fallout from previous thefts and ongoing scrutiny about the return of British colonial artifacts, such as the contested Parthenon Marbles.

As the situation develops, the British Museum aims to inform visitors promptly about the status of its exhibitions. Ticket holders have been notified, with refunds being offered to those affected by the closures.