Internet Archive hacked, data breach impacts 31 million users

As a technologist I deep down have some hope that there is a moral code to most hackers but there isn't. It’s all about the money, in most cases. Attacking the Internet Archive is terrible. I’ve been a supporter of this non-profit for over a decade. I highlighted them in the list of organizations to support the open internet. And alas they have not just been hacked but have now been down for several days as the result of an aggressive Denial of Service attack. The site just has a banner now saying "Internet Archive services are temporarily offline." 😔

As the hacker suggested I did get notified via Have I Been Pwned that my credentials were stolen. Here is where the work of maintaining good security pays off since the password I use for Internet Archive is completely random and unique. There is no value to it at all. Unfortunately I hadn't switched to using an anonymized email there, which is the only way I was even able to be notified that the credentials had been taken.

If we got better with our password hygiene perhaps these types of attacks would become less common. If what you steal has no market value, why would you steal it? Also, if you haven't signed up to be notified via Have I Been Pwned I recommend you do. It is great at keeping you aware of credential risk.