DDoS attacks and legal challenges test the Internet Archive

The Internet Archive, a well-known non-profit site dedicated to the preservation of billions of web pages, books, films, music and other content, has been the victim of a series of DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks for days. The organization communicated the incident through a post on its official blog, specifying that the attacks, which began during the Memorial Day weekend in the United States, are causing serious disruptions and intermittent interruptions. The services offered by the site, including the famous Wayback Machine which allows you to view old versions of pages and websites, were found to be inaccessible or partially functional due to the attacks. The good news is that the Internet Archive's massive database was not compromised and no data was lost.

Characteristics of DDoS attacks

DDoS attacks use a technique well known in the world of cybersecurity: they overload the target with such a high volume of requests that they exhaust hardware resources such as CPU and bandwidth. This overload causes a digital traffic jam that can significantly slow down or even take targeted servers offline. Attackers often make use of botnets, i.e. networks of infected devices, including smartphones, laptops, but also routers and smart TVs, which coordinate attacks by sending simultaneous requests to the target. While DDoS attacks do not cause data loss or permanent damage, they can serve as a diversion for more sophisticated and damaging attacks.

Consequences and responses from the Internet Archive

Despite the serious operational difficulties caused by the continuous attacks, the Internet Archive has reassured users of the security of the data stored in its archives. No data has been compromised and security measures remain intact. However, service intermittency represents a major problem for users who depend on continued access to stored resources. The organization is working intensively to mitigate the effects of the attacks and to restore the normal operation of its services as quickly as possible. At the moment, the origin of the attacks has not yet been determined.

Legal and operational challenges

In addition to dealing with cyber attacks, the Internet Archive is facing a number of legal challenges, with lawsuits from the music and publishing industries alleging copyright infringement. These cyber attacks therefore arrive at a particularly critical moment for the organization, which is trying to defend itself on multiple fronts. It is not yet clear whether they will be able to trace the origin of the DDoS attacks, but the Internet Archive continues to highlight the importance of its work in preserving digital culture. Attention is now focused on both resolving the attacks and managing ongoing legal issues.