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Yes. The Internet Archive reported a breach in October 2024, and contemporary coverage said email addresses and usernames were among the exposed information. Have I Been Pwned’s current listing, accessed October 4, 2026, shows 31,081,179 records—a record count, not a confirmed count of unique people. Separately, a DDoS attack disrupted access to Archive services; the available reporting does not establish that the attack and data theft had the same cause or operator.
What happened to the Internet Archive?
In October 2024, the Internet Archive suffered a data breach, while DDoS activity separately disrupted access to its website and services. TechCrunch reported on October 9 that Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) had confirmed 31 million unique email addresses and usernames were stolen, and that Archive founder Brewster Kahle acknowledged the breach. The same report said Kahle described the DDoS as having been fended off “for now.” That reporting does not prove the DDoS and the breach were connected. TechCrunch, October 9, 2024.
HIBP’s current Internet Archive listing places the incident in October 2024 and displays 31,081,179 records. HIBP’s figure is a count of records in its listing; it should not be described as 31,081,179 people. Earlier coverage commonly rounded the scale to 31 million. Have I Been Pwned, current listing accessed October 4, 2026.
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What information was exposed?
Contemporary reporting identified email addresses and usernames among the stolen information. KQED reported on October 21, 2024 that identifying information from more than 31 million accounts had been compromised. The available sources do not establish a complete inventory of exposed fields, so it would be misleading to claim that a particular password, payment detail, or other data category was definitely included or excluded. KQED, October 21, 2024.
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Was the Internet Archive shut down, and is it back?
The breach and the service disruption are separate reported effects: data was stolen, while DDoS activity interfered with access. KQED said the incident forced a temporary shutdown of services. Axios reported on October 15, 2024 that the Internet Archive and Wayback Machine were back online with some limits after nearly a week offline. That is a dated account of recovery at the time; it does not establish the services’ current availability. Axios, October 15, 2024.
What should you do if you had an Internet Archive account?
Check whether your email appears in the breach listing
Use Have I Been Pwned’s email breach-history checker to check the address associated with your Archive account. A match means the address appears in breach data HIBP tracks; it does not, on its own, show what an attacker can access now.
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Change any reused password
If you used your Internet Archive password on other sites, change it on every account where it was reused. Give each account a different password. HIBP recommends using a password manager to generate and store strong, unique passwords; buying a particular product is not required to take these steps.
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Enable multifactor authentication on affected accounts if the service offers it. This is a forward-looking account-protection step, not evidence that a particular account was accessed after the breach.
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What is not established about the attack?
The available reporting establishes the breach, its broad reported scale and data categories, and service disruption. It does not establish the precise initial-access method, vulnerability, or complete sequence of actors and events. Nor does it establish that the DDoS activity and record theft came from the same operator. Treat claims naming a specific technical cause or asserting a definitive link between the incidents as unconfirmed by these sources.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key C NFC via USB-C and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
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- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single Security Key NFC secures 100 of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
- TRUSTED PASSKEY TECHNOLOGY: Uses the latest passkey standards (FIDO2/WebAuthn & FIDO U2F) but does not support One-Time Passwords. For complex needs, check out the YubiKey 5 Series.
- BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.
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