The Internet Archive, a beloved non-profit digital library and home to the Wayback Machine is reeling from a two-pronged attack. In a dramatic turn of events, the service faced consecutive days of DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial-of-Service) culminating in a data breach.
On Wednesday, the Internet Archive confirmed a second DDoS attack following a previous attempt on Tuesday. While the attacks have been “fended off for now,” according to Brewster Kahle, the Archive’s digital librarian, access to the website and the Wayback Machine remains disrupted.
Adding fuel to the fire, a data breach exposed usernames, emails, and encrypted passwords. Troy Hunt, founder of the popular security service “Have I Been Pwned?” (HIBP), reported that the attackers defaced the site with a message claiming 31 million user records were compromised.
While the root cause of the DDoS attack remains unclear, a group calling themselves Sn_darkmeta has taken responsibility. Their online statement cites the Internet Archive’s supposed affiliation with the US government as justification for the digital assault. Experts, however, have condemned the attack, highlighting the Archive’s role as a cornerstone of internet history and its non-profit nature.
“Pwning a library is basically the antithesis of the hacker ethos,” remarked Kurt Opsahl, a cybersecurity expert with the Filecoin Foundation.
The attack comes at a difficult time for the Internet Archive. Earlier this year, it was targeted by another DDoS attack, and it’s currently embroiled in a legal battle over copyright infringement with several publishers.
The incident has sparked passionate reactions online, with many users expressing their support for the digital library.
“As I said for over 3 decades and few cared to understand,” tweeted Brian Roemmele, a prominent voice in artificial intelligence, “We are moving from the Information Age to the Amnesia Age. The Internet Archive has been attacked and the aim is to delete it.”
The Internet Archive’s resilience and future remain uncertain. With a data breach to address and ongoing legal challenges, the fight to preserve online history is far from over.
