Internet Archive Offline for Nearly 20 Hours Due to Ongoing DDoS Attack, Hackers Claim Responsibility

Yesterday, it was reported that the Internet Archive (Internet Archive) was hacked, resulting in the leak of data belonging to 31 million registered users. Fortunately, the leaked data did not contain highly sensitive information, thus it is unlikely to significantly impact users.

However, at the same time, a hacker group has been continuously launching DDoS attacks against the Internet Archive, rendering it unusable. The attack started yesterday afternoon at 6 o'clock and has not ceased since, keeping the Internet Archive offline and inaccessible.

Affected services include the main Internet Archive site, the Wayback Machine, and sub-sites that host images and documents, most of which are currently either inaccessible or showing offline messages.

A hacker on the instant messaging platform Telegram claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating that the DDoS attacks were initiated by their group. The reason for the attack is somewhat bizarre: the group claims that the Internet Archive is associated with the US government and supports Israel.

However, the Internet Archive is a nonprofit organization not affiliated with the US government, and its sole purpose is to preserve information available on the Internet. The rationale behind launching an attack for such absurd reasons is perplexing.

Regardless, the actual impact of the attack is significant, especially since prolonged inaccessibility could affect global users. Previously, the Internet Archive had partnered with Google to provide snapshots links from the Wayback Machine in Google search results, which are now also disrupted.

It remains unclear when the hacker group will cease their attacks or whether they are merely seeking attention. As of the publication of this article, no other hackers have come forward to claim involvement in this incident.