Hackers breached the Internet Archive, exposing data from over 31 million users in what is being described as a politically motivated attack. The group claiming responsibility cited U.S. support for Israel as the motive behind the cyberattack, which began with a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack and escalated to data theft.
The Internet Archive, best known for its Wayback Machine, hosts billions of web pages and other media to preserve digital history. The hackers, who use account on X known as SN_BlackMeta, claimed that the attack is part of a larger operation started in May 2024.
While user passwords were encrypted, there are concerns about weak password vulnerabilities. The breach comes at a critical time for the Archive, which is already facing legal challenges over its book-lending program, raising questions about its ability to safeguard its users.
Founder of the Internet Archive, Brewster Kahle, took to X to reassure users, stating, “The data is safe.” Kahle says the Archive could be back up in a matter of days as staff works on fixing the issues created by the attacks.
The data is safe.
— Brewster Kahle (@brewster_kahle) October 11, 2024
Services are offline as we examine and strengthen them. Sorry, but needed. @internetarchive staff is working hard.
Estimated Timeline: days, not weeks.
Thank you for the offers of pizza (we are set).
The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no government affiliation, is widely regarded as a vital digital preservation tool, allowing users to access archived websites, books, and media. The hackers indicated that more attacks could be forthcoming.
