The Internet Archive, known for its Wayback Machine, experienced a significant cyberattack that compromised 31 million user accounts. Founder Brewster Kahle confirmed that the attack took place on Tuesday, causing the digital library’s website to go offline. Usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords were among the exposed data.
In a statement on Thursday, Kahle explained, “Services are currently stopped to upgrade internal systems. We are working to restore services as quickly and safely as possible. Sorry for this disruption.” He added that the hackers had launched a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, a method that overwhelms websites with excessive traffic, rendering them inaccessible.
Forbes reported that users first noticed something unusual earlier in the week when a cryptic message appeared on the site: “Have you ever felt like the Internet Archive runs on sticks and is constantly on the verge of suffering a catastrophic security breach? It just happened. See 31 million of you on HIBP!” The reference to HIBP, or “Have I Been Pwned,” pointed users to a website that allows individuals to check if their personal data has been exposed in a breach.
Cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt, creator of HIBP, said the actual breach likely occurred more than a week prior. Hunt first received information about the breach on September 30 and analyzed it by October 5, after which he notified the Internet Archive and updated HIBP to reflect the breach of more than 31 million accounts.
Hunt also suggested the possibility of “multiple parties” being involved, as the attack combined breach, defacement, and DDoS tactics, indicating a coordinated assault.
Founded in 1996, the Internet Archive is a nonprofit offering free access to a vast collection of videos, books, audio files, and photographs. Its Wayback Machine preserves snapshots of websites over time, allowing users to view older versions. In response to the cyberattack, Kahle confirmed that the Archive had scrubbed its systems and enhanced its security protocols to prevent future incidents.
