What the AO3 Hack Means for Your Account
Players and fanfiction readers should brace for weeks of downtime and take password security seriously. The hack highlights the vulnerability of beloved community-run platforms.
Players and fanfiction readers should brace for weeks of downtime and take password security seriously. The hack highlights the vulnerability of beloved community-run platforms.
Key points - AO3 was taken down on October 29 for maintenance initially expected to last 12 hours. - The downtime estimate was later extended to two to four weeks due to a security intrusion. - The archive and associated data like bookmarks and kudos remain intact. - User database compromise cannot be ruled out; donor information is stored separately and is safe. - AO3 expects to return in a degraded state with possible read-only access and intermittent downtime.
Timeline - October 29: AO3 taken down for maintenance, initially predicted 12 hours; later updated to 2-4 weeks. - October 30: Volunteer leadership shares update about security intrusion. - Coming weeks: AO3 anticipated to return in degraded state with intermittent downtime.
FAQ
Q: Is my data safe after the AO3 hack? A: The archive and bookmarks are intact, but the user database may have been compromised. Donor info is safe. Change reused passwords as a precaution.
Q: When will AO3 be back online? A: The site could be down for two to four weeks, and may return in a degraded state with read-only access and further downtime.
Q: What should I do to protect my account? A: Update any passwords you've reused from AO3. Use a unique, strong password for each site to minimize risk.
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