The Internet Archive is Under Attack: A Major Threat to Our Digital Heritage

[] (Caption: "The internet archive runs on sticks and stones and is constantly on the verge of a major security breach.")

The Internet Archive, a website that has been taking snapshots of the internet since 1996, is currently under attack. The website, which is home to over 890 billion archived web pages, is a valuable resource for historians, researchers, and the general public. However, its current status is offline, and its fate hangs in the balance.

The Internet Archive is not just a repository of old websites; it is a digital library that stores a vast amount of data, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and images. It is an unimaginable amount of data, equivalent to if you looked at one web page every second for the next 100 years, you would have looked at less than 1% of the total archive.

The website has been facing aggressive DOS attacks since May, and recently, it was defaced with JavaScript graffiti, which triggered an alert message about a data breach. The breach exposed 31 million email addresses and password hashes, and the website is currently offline.

[] (Caption: "The data breach exposed 31 million email addresses and password hashes, and the website is currently offline.")

The Internet Archive's Open Library, which digitizes physical books, has also been affected by the attacks. The service allows one digital copy to be lent out for each physical copy owned, but it has been sued by publishers claiming copyright infringement.

[] (Caption: "The Open Library service allows one digital copy to be lent out for each physical copy owned, but it has been sued by publishers claiming copyright infringement.")

Brewster Kale, the founder of the Internet Archive, has been posting about the attacks on his blog, but the situation is dire. The Internet Archive is a nonprofit service that benefits the world, and it is not clear who is behind the attacks.

[] (Caption: "The Internet Archive is a nonprofit service that benefits the world, and it is not clear who is behind the attacks.")

An activist group called Black Meta is claiming responsibility for the attacks, but their motives are unclear. They have posted a video claiming that they will continue to attack until the Internet Archive is completely down.

[] (Caption: "An activist group called Black Meta is claiming responsibility for the attacks, but their motives are unclear.")

The situation is grim, and the fate of the Internet Archive hangs in the balance. If the attacks continue, the digital heritage of the internet could be lost forever.