The Internet Archive recently had a security breach that affected over 31 million people. The leaked data had email addresses, screen names, and hashed passwords. A warning message appeared on the website, pointing users to the “Have I Been Pwned?” platform, where they could check if their data had been exposed.
Troy Hunt, the person behind Have I Been Pwned, confirmed the breach. He received a file containing user information, which he matched with existing records to confirm its authenticity. Around 54% of the accounts had already been compromised in previous data breaches tracked by his platform.
This breach also caused parts of the Internet Archive to slow down or become temporarily unavailable, as the organisation worked to handle the fallout. Users faced difficulties accessing the site, and some features were disabled while the security team worked on repairs.
How Did Users Learn About The Breach?
A pop-up message on the Internet Archive site first warned users about the breach, by saying that their personal information was no longer safe. The message mentioned Have I Been Pwned, leading many to use the platform to check whether their data was part of the breach.
Many people received notifications through Have I Been Pwned, which provided details on what information was exposed. Social media quickly became a source of discussion, with users on platforms like Reddit sharing their experiences and raising concerns about the security of the Internet Archive’s services.
The organisation’s founder, Brewster Kahle, confirmed the breach on social media. He explained what had happened and reassured the public that the team was working on securing the site and preventing further incidents.
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What Did The Internet Archive Do After The Breach?
After discovering the breach, the Internet Archive took action to secure its systems. They disabled the compromised JavaScript library responsible for the incident and performed a full system check. Security improvements were made to strengthen defences and restore normal functionality.
Brewster Kahle regularly updated users through social media, providing information about the organisation’s ongoing efforts. Parts of the Internet Archive, such as the Wayback Machine, went offline while these fixes were carried out, causing frustration for users who rely on the service.
The Internet Archive’s team worked quickly to restore normal service and protect user data. While some services were back online shortly after the breach, others took longer to recover as the team worked to resolve the situation completely.
Who Was Behind The Attack?
The hacktivist group BlackMeta claimed responsibility for the breach and a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on the Internet Archive. BlackMeta is known for launching similar attacks in the past, although the exact reason behind this particular breach remains unclear.
BlackMeta’s attack methods have included DDoS assaults, which flood a server with traffic to overwhelm it, making the site slow or completely inaccessible. The Internet Archive had faced a similar attack from the group in May, with no clear demands or motives.
Security experts and the Internet Archive’s team are still investigating the full details of the breach. The hacktivist group’s intentions remain uncertain, but the attack has certainly caused disruption for the Internet Archive and its users. The team continues to monitor for further threats as they work to improve security and prevent future attacks.
