Just weeks before the U.S. election, the Internet Archive faced a serious cyberattack that has put its essential services in jeopardy. On October 9, 2024, the popular nonprofit, known for its Wayback Machine, was hit by a coordinated series of Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.
This wave of attacks brought down its systems, rendering the site inaccessible for a period, and compromising the data of around 31 million users. The attackers managed to expose usernames, email addresses, and hashed passwords, highlighting vulnerabilities in even well-established digital platforms.
The timing of this breach is particularly concerning, as journalists and fact-checkers frequently use the Internet Archive to verify past statements made by politicians and media outlets. The Wayback Machine’s ability to capture historical snapshots of web pages makes it an invaluable tool for scrutinizing edited statements or removed content—especially crucial in an election season, when misinformation can be rampant.
While the Internet Archive team has restored partial access, the platform remains in a read-only state. Users can still view historical pages, but new snapshots cannot be saved, hampering real-time archival efforts.
Founder Brewster Kahle confirmed that additional maintenance might require more temporary shutdowns, creating ongoing challenges for those who depend on the site.
In addition to the inconvenience for users, this attack raises significant concerns about the integrity of digital archives and their ability to safeguard information amid increasing cyber threats.
With the presidential election approaching, this breach underscores the critical need for enhanced security measures to protect resources like the Wayback Machine, which play a vital role in ensuring accountability and transparency online.