Archive of Our Own reports security incident as outage extends
The fan fiction repository Archive of Our Own has suspended operations following a security incident. The site, which hosts 18.8 million stories, expects a return to service to take up to four weeks.
Archive of Our Own (AO3), a major online repository for fan-written stories, has moved to an extended outage following the discovery of a security incident. The nonprofit platform, operated by the Organization for Transformative Works, took the site offline in late October, initially citing planned maintenance before the scope of the incident became clear.
The organization stated that while the site's database of approximately 18.8 million stories remains intact, the integrity of user account data is uncertain. Officials noted that usernames, email addresses, and hashed passwords may have been compromised, advising users to update credentials on any platforms where they reused passwords.
With an estimated restoration timeline of two to four weeks, the site's absence has drawn significant attention across social media. Competing platforms, including Tumblr and Wattpad, have begun providing alternative hosting and support for the displaced user base.
Investigations into the nature and full extent of the security breach are currently underway. No further details regarding the perpetrators or the specific method of the breach have been released by the organization.