Archive of Our Own (AO3) was targeted by a DDoS attack from late on Monday evening into late Tuesday morning. While the site is back online, people still have a lot of questions about who is responsible, what their motivations were, and if this can or will happen again in the future.
What is a DDoS attack?
As explained by AO3 on Twitter, “A DDoS attack is when an attacker attempts to knock a site offline by overwhelming it with requests.” It’s a bit like overloading the power grid; a DDoS attack emulates millions of people all logging onto the website at the same time, overwhelming the servers and making the site unusable for anyone. Thankfully, AO3 has also clarified that “Data is not compromised in a DDoS attack, so there is no need to change your password at this time.”
Who did this?
Anonymous Sudan, the group claiming responsibility for the attack, initially stated that it was “part of their campaign targeting companies registered in the United States.” They also said that they “are against all forms of degeneracy and the site is full of disgusting smuts and other LGBTQ+ and NSFW things.” However, the group also “issued a ransom demand for $30k worth of Bitcoin,” indicating that their “campaign” is less religiously motivated and more financially driven.
AO3 tweeted as much, saying “We do not condone anti-Muslim sentiments under any circumstances” and “Cybersecurity experts believe the group claiming responsibility is lying about their affiliation and reasons for attacking websites. View the group’s statements with skepticism.”
Also, it appears that this group has just been working its way down the list of the most-used American websites; AO3 was more vulnerable than other large websites because the site is a non-profit run on donations and staffed by volunteers.
Can these attacks be prevented in the future?
Unfortunately, it will be the responsibility of AO3 to prevent future attacks, and the site will likely have to dip into its budget to improve its security features. But you can help by donating to AO3 or volunteering your time with the organization.
If this does happen again in the future, the site asks that you close all tabs and not refresh them until you receive confirmation that the site is back up. Checking the site yourself contributes to the DDoS and makes it harder for everyone in the long run. If you’re really scared about your favorite fics being inaccessible, download and save them for offline use.
The last thing any of us want is for Archive of Our Own to be down for any longer than necessary.
(featured image: Getty Images)
