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The Internet Archive, a renowned online repository for web pages, has been thrust into the spotlight following a significant cyberattack that exposed the data of millions of users. This assault, claimed by a pro-Palestinian hacktivist group known as SN_BLACKMETA, highlights the evolving scene of cybersecurity threats, particularly as the November 5 U.S. presidential election approaches.
Founded in 1996, the Internet Archive operates the Wayback Machine, a vital resource that captures and preserves millions of web pages. It serves as a digital museum, enabling fact-checkers, researchers, and the public to access historical content that may no longer be available elsewhere. However, this nonprofit organization recently became the target of a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that began on October 10.
Brewster Kahle, the Internet Archive’s founder, confirmed that the initial attack led to the defacement of their website and the breach of usernames, emails, and passwords. Users reported a pop-up message claiming the data of 31 million accounts had been compromised, redirecting them to the site “Have I Been Pwned” (HIBP) to check for potential data leaks.
According to experts, the attackers were motivated by political grievances, specifically criticizing the U.S. government’s support for Israel. When taking responsibility for the attack, the group stated: “They are under attack because the archive belongs to the U.S., and as we all know, this horrendous and hypocritical government supports the genocide that is being carried out by the terrorist state of Israel.”
While the Internet Archive has faced legal challenges from major publishing companies over copyright issues, the current attack appears to stem from ideological rather than purely economic motives. Cybersecurity analysts have noted that while these attacks draw attention to specific political issues, they can also inadvertently serve the interests of large corporations that have been critical of the archive’s practices.
Kahle emphasized that the organization is working diligently to restore services and enhance security, in order to protect this vital information resource.
