Tue Oct 15 18:03:27 UTC 2024: ## Pro-Palestinian Hacktivist Group Launches Catastrophic Cyberattack on Internet Archive

**Carlow, Ireland** – A group linked to a pro-Palestinian hacktivist movement, known as SN_BlackMeta, has launched a devastating cyberattack on the Internet Archive, a non-profit organization known for its digital library and the Wayback Machine. The attack, which occurred on September 28th, resulted in the exposure of personal data for 31 million users, including email addresses, screen names, and encrypted passwords.

The attack, which began with a series of Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, brought the Internet Archive’s website down on Wednesday and continues to disrupt services. The website was also defaced, with a pop-up message claiming responsibility for the breach and directing users to a data breach notification website.

The data breach appears to have occurred through the exploitation of a JavaScript library used by the Internet Archive. The leaked database, containing 31 million records, includes encrypted passwords that, while relatively safe, have prompted experts to advise users to change their passwords as a precaution.

“Given the severity of this breach and until they have had time to fully investigate, my strong recommendation is to avoid browsing or using any files obtained from the site until they have declared an ‘all clear’,” said Jason Meller, VP of Product at 1Password.

SN_BlackMeta has previously been linked to other cyberattacks, including a record-breaking DDoS attack against a Middle Eastern financial institution earlier this year. While the group has claimed responsibility for the latest DDoS attack on the Internet Archive, it remains unclear if they were responsible for the data breach or the website defacement.

The Internet Archive, which preserves billions of webpages, texts, audio recordings, videos, and software applications, is facing a significant challenge in recovering from this attack. Users are advised to remain vigilant and follow the Internet Archive’s social media channels for updates.

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