In the wake of severe cyberattacks that have threatened its services, the Internet Archive, known for its Wayback Machine and expansive digital resources, has been implementing major security measures.
The recent wave of cyber incidents included a significant data breach in October 2024 that exposed the personal details of over 31 million accounts, such as usernames, emails, and encrypted passwords. Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, stated in a new update, “We don’t know why these attacks have started recently and if they are coordinated, but we are building defenses”.
The data breach marked a major disruption, leading the Archive to temporarily limit service functionality to prevent further risks. Although the extensive library of archived content remained secure, users were unable to contribute new captures, causing concern among journalists, researchers, and regular users who rely on these features.
The group behind the breach, identified as SN_Blackmeta, justified the attack by pointing to political motives against U.S. government policies, a rationale that left many puzzled considering the Archive’s mission as a nonprofit.
Shortly after the breach, the platform encountered persistent DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks that exacerbated service interruptions. These DDoS attacks, which aim to overwhelm servers with traffic, further delayed the Archive’s efforts to resume full functionality.
The organization’s response included tightening firewall controls and modifying data flows to improve threat monitoring. Kahle pointed out the complications of updating older software, saying, “The downside is these upgrades have forced changes to software, some of it quite old”.
Community and Commercial Support
Assistance came from both the open-source community and select commercial partners. Open-source tools, appreciated for their flexibility and communal support, have played a key role in helping the Archive manage its technical challenges.
Kahle acknowledged that some commercial help arrived in the form of resources that would usually be too costly, emphasizing the crucial role of external aid. Contributions from the public, including donations and engagement on social media, also provided significant support to the organization.
Google’s Integration and the Archive’s Digital Role
The importance of the Internet Archive was underscored when Google began incorporating Wayback Machine links into its search results in September 2024. Users can access archived versions of web pages through a “More about this page” option next to search results, offering an alternative to Google’s former cached pages feature. This initiative was designed to combat the problem of link rot, where URLs become inactive or outdated, complicating access to past web content.
However, limitations exist within this integration. Links to archived content won’t appear if a site owner has chosen to opt out or if the content violates certain regulations. The feature is rolling out gradually, so not all search results will immediately display these links.
The integration of the Wayback Machine came after Google retired its cached page feature in February 2024. The feature, which had been available for over 20 years, allowed users to view a snapshot of a webpage as it appeared the last time Google indexed it. The cached version was particularly useful when a webpage was unavailable due to server issues, high traffic, or if it had been altered or removed.
Maintaining cached versions of millions of webpages required substantial storage and computational resources. As part of broader cost-cutting measures, Google decided to eliminate this feature to free up resources.
Hey, catching up. Yes, it’s been removed. I know, it’s sad. I’m sad too. It’s one of our oldest features. But it was meant for helping people access pages when way back, you often couldn’t depend on a page loading. These days, things have greatly improved. So, it was decided to…
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) February 1, 2024
Legal Challenges Add Pressure
Beyond the immediate cybersecurity challenges, the Internet Archive faces ongoing legal battles. Disputes with book publishers over digital lending and issues with the recording industry related to 78-rpm records have diverted resources and strained the Archive’s staff. These legal conflicts, combined with the wave of recent cyberattacks, have left the platform operating in a limited state.
Currently, users can browse previously archived material but cannot add new content. Kahle mentioned that the team is working on carefully reinstating services like staff email and web crawlers for institutional use, ensuring that vulnerabilities are not reintroduced.
Continued Efforts Despite Obstacles
Despite these setbacks, the Internet Archive has continued to expand its collection. Notably, it has added classic video games such as Unreal and Unreal Tournament, with permission from Epic Games. This move showcases the Archive’s commitment to diversifying its offerings and maintaining access to digital content, even as it faces a mix of cybersecurity and legal challenges.
Last Updated on November 19, 2024 11:12 am CET
