The breach resulted from a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that compromised sensitive user data, including usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords.
Over 31 million user accounts were reportedly exposed.
Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, announced the site’s partial return on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. Kahle noted that the platform is operational but may undergo further maintenance, with the possibility of being temporarily suspended again.
The @internetarchive’s Wayback Machine resumed in a provisional, read-only manner.
Sorry, no Save Page Now yet.
Safe to resume but might need further maintenance, in which case it will be suspended again.
Please be gentle https://t.co/sb5tlvxQ26
More as it happens.— Brewster Kahle (@brewster_kahle) October 14, 2024
The breach affected millions of users, leading to the current suspension of key features like the “Save Page Now” tool, which typically allows users to archive a page as it currently appears.
The Internet Archive, known for preserving digital content, including websites, books, and media, is taking extra precautions to prevent further security incidents.
Kahle urged users to be patient, emphasizing that the system is still in a recovery phase.
