Brief Summary
The Internet Archive, a crucial website that archives the history of the internet, is facing a major crisis. It has been attacked from multiple angles, including a data breach exposing 31 million email addresses and password hashes, a legal battle with publishers, and a denial-of-service (DoS) attack that has taken the website offline. The Internet Archive's founder, Brewster Kahle, is a strong advocate for universal access to knowledge, but the organization has faced criticism for its policies on copyright and data retention. The attack is being claimed by a group called Black Meta, who are demanding the shutdown of all "sister" websites.
- The Internet Archive is facing a major crisis due to a data breach, legal battle, and DoS attack.
- The attack is being claimed by a group called Black Meta, who are demanding the shutdown of all "sister" websites.
The Internet Archive Under Attack
The Internet Archive, a non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle, has been a vital resource for preserving the history of the internet. It has archived over 890 billion web pages, including their HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and images, dating back to 1996. This vast archive allows us to see how the internet has evolved over time, from its early days to the present. However, the Internet Archive is currently facing a major crisis, with its website offline due to a series of attacks.
The Data Breach
On September 30th, 2024, it was discovered that the Internet Archive had suffered a data breach, exposing 31 million email addresses and password hashes. The breach was confirmed on October 5th, and the Internet Archive was notified on October 6th. They were given a 72-hour window to make the breach public, which they did on October 8th. The hackers responsible for the breach have not been identified, but the group Black Meta has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Legal Battle
In addition to the data breach, the Internet Archive is also facing a legal battle with publishers over its Open Library service. Open Library, founded by Brewster Kahle and the late Aaron Schwartz, digitizes physical books and allows one digital copy to be lent out for each physical copy owned. This practice was challenged by publishers, who claimed copyright infringement. The publishers won the lawsuit, which could result in over $600 million in damages for the Internet Archive.
The Denial-of-Service Attack
The Internet Archive has been facing aggressive denial-of-service (DoS) attacks since May 2024. On October 9th, the website was defaced with JavaScript code that triggered an alert message about the data breach before it was officially disclosed. As of October 10th, the website is still being attacked and is completely offline.
Black Meta's Demands
The group Black Meta has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Internet Archive. They have stated that they will continue to attack until all "sister" websites are completely down. They have released a video explaining their motives, which they claim are related to the situation in the Middle East. However, the connection between the Internet Archive and the Middle East is unclear, leading some to believe that the attack may be a false flag.
