In a shocking revelation, the Internet Archive, known for its popular Wayback Machine, has fallen victim to a significant Internet Archive data breach. An event that emerged on Wednesday in the afternoon has demonstrated the exposure of personal data of 31 million users, and now all of them are at risk of various security threats.
The Internet Archive data breach was first noticed when visitors to archive.org were greeted with a JavaScript alert, claiming that the website had been compromised. The message, which was claimed to have been crafted by the hacker involved in the leakage, read: “Have you ever felt that Internet Archive is just running on sticks and nearly collapses a security breach everyday?” It just happened. Hello to 31 million of you guys on HIBP!
Stolen Database Contains Sensitive User Information
The Internet Archive data breach involved the theft of a user authentication database, which was shared with Troy Hunt, the creator of the Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) data breach notification service. This database whose file name is “ia_userssql” measuring 6.4GB has among others, viewers email addresses, screen names, password modification dates, passwords, and other internal details.
Hunt writes that the copied database has 31 million unique email addresses and many of the users are subscribed with the HIBP service. The most recent timestamp on the stolen records is September 28th, 2024, which is likely when the Internet Archive data breach occurred.
Breach Confirmed by Affected Users
To confirm the authenticity of the Internet Archive data breach, Hunt contacted several users listed in the stolen database, including cybersecurity researcher Scott Helme. Helme confirmed that the bcrypt-hashed passwords he found in the data record corresponded to the one in his password manager and the timestamp corresponded to the date he changed his password on Internet Archive.
The confirmation of the Internet Archive data breach by affected users has raised serious concerns about the security measures employed by the organization and the potential impact on millions of individuals who rely on the service for accessing archived web content.
Investigation Underway, Extent of Breach Unknown
While the Internet Archive data breach has been confirmed, the extent of the incident remains unclear. It is still not clear how the threat actors got through with the protection set by the Internet Archive or if more data was taken in the course of the attack.
The Internet Archive has been contacted for comment on the Internet Archive data breach, but no immediate response has been provided. The organization is most probably carrying out a probe to establish the extent of the intrusion and what steps that firm can take to avoid similar occurrences in the future.
BlackMeta Hacktivists Claim Responsibility for DDoS Attack
In a story that is side by side, the Internet Archive was hit with a DDoS attack earlier today and the attack was said to have been made by the BlackMeta hacktivist group. The group has threatened to conduct additional attacks, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the organization in the wake of the Internet Archive data breach.
Raising a question on the continuation of such hackers with the Internet Archive, hacktivists’ participation in hacking the Internet Archive prompts many such questions.
Implications and Lessons Learned
The Internet Archive data breach serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and the potential consequences of failing to protect user data adequately. Since millions of users have been impacted due to this breach, every company and organisation must ensure complete protection for their systems along with implementation of measures to share minimal access.
As the investigation into the Internet Archive data breach continues, users are advised to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect their personal information. This refers to password changes for accounts and other forms of authentication such as the two-factor authentications, in addition to forming awareness regarding any unnatural activity concerning their accounts.
The Internet Archive data breach is a wake-up call for both organizations and individuals, highlighting the need for increased awareness and proactive measures to safeguard sensitive data in an increasingly digital world. In the light of this attack, it is crucial to dissect this attack and get to improve the internet experience for everyone as it is not safe.
