The first wave of attacks began on October 9th, when the Internet Archive was hit by both a data breach and a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. Hackers used a compromised GitLab token to gain access to the organization’s source code, stealing sensitive user data from 31 million accounts. This data included Bcrypt-hashed passwords and email addresses. Alongside this, the Pro-Palestinian group SN_BlackMeta launched another DDoS attack, temporarily bringing down the Wayback Machine, which archives billions of web pages.
In response, founder Brewster Kahle assured the public that user data was safe and that the Archive’s operations, including the Wayback Machine, had resumed. However, the October 20 breach has further eroded confidence, emphasizing the need for better cybersecurity measures within the organization.
While no ransom demands have been made, the exposed data increases the risks of phishing attacks and identity theft. These attacks, believed to be motivated by reputation rather than financial gain, underscore the urgent need for regular security audits, improved coding practices, and swift responses to vulnerabilities to safeguard user data and the integrity of the Internet Archive’s vast digital repository.
Source: HackRead
The European Cyber Intelligence Foundation is a nonprofit think tank specializing in intelligence and cybersecurity, offering consultancy services to government entities. To mitigate potential threats, it is important to implement additional cybersecurity measures with the help of a trusted partner like INFRA www.infrascan.net, or you can try yourself using check.website.