The Internet Archive, a renowned nonprofit digital library, has suffered a significant data breach affecting over 31 million users. The cyberattack, which occurred earlier this month, resulted in the theft of sensitive user information, including email addresses and encrypted passwords. Hackers exploited a vulnerability to deface the Archive’s website, boasting about the data theft with a message that read, “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 [Have I Been Pwnd].”
In response to the breach, the Internet Archive took down its entire site to assess the damage and strengthen its security measures. Most services, including the website archiving tool, were partially restored by Friday.
However, the organization stated that full restoration would require more time, with some services initially resuming in read-only mode. Brewster Kahle, the founder of the Internet Archive, addressed the incident in a blog post. He assured the public that the vast archival material remains secure despite the breach.
Internet Archive breach affects millions
Kahle also highlighted that the organization is taking careful, measured steps to rebuild and fortify its defenses. This is not the first time the Internet Archive has faced a cyberattack.
In May of this year, the organization experienced its first major breach since its founding in 1996, resulting in intermittent outages. Additionally, the Archive has been dealing with lawsuits regarding its digitization of copyrighted materials, which Kahle indicated could financially threaten the organization’s existence. The Internet Archive, based in San Francisco, is known for providing free access to its immense collection of digitized websites, software applications, and print materials.
The organization has yet to provide further updates on how the breach of sensitive user information is being managed. As of now, the implications for the Archive’s patrons remain unclear. The organization has been reached out to for more details regarding the steps being taken to address the security breach and protect user data.
This cyberattack on the Internet Archive serves as a reminder of the growing threat of data breaches and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for organizations handling sensitive user information. It remains to be seen how the Archive will recover from this incident and regain the trust of its users.
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