AO3 DDoS Attack hits the fan fiction community

Millions of users are having trouble accessing the fan fiction platform due to the AO3 DDoS attack.

Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a non-profit fan fiction archive that was founded in 2008. It hosts over 5 million fan-created stories, poems, and other works. On July 7, 2023, AO3 was hit by a DDoS attack.

A DDoS attack is a type of cyber attack that floods a website with traffic, making it inaccessible. The attack was claimed by the hacktivist group Anonymous Sudan.

AO3 DDoS attack

The AO3 DDoS attack has had a significant impact on the fan fiction community. Millions of fans who use AO3 to read and write fan fiction have been unable to access the website.

The attack has also caused financial hardship for AO3, as the website's administrators have had to pay for extra bandwidth to mitigate the attack.

At the time of writing, the AO3 Status Twitter account shared this 3 hours ago:

We're still working to mitigate the DDoS attacks. In the meantime, you may receive various error messages or encounter display issues with the site layout.

— AO3 Status (@AO3_Status) July 11, 2023

What is AO3?

AO3 is a free and open-source website that allows fans to share their fan fiction with the world.

The website is run by a non-profit organization called the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW). AO3 is a popular destination for fans of all genres, including fanfiction, original fiction, poetry, and art.

How to fix AO3 not working issue

There is not much that individual users can do to fix the problem. However, you can help by reporting any suspicious activity to AO3's administrators. You can also check the AO3 server status page via Downdetector to see if the website is back online.

Here are some additional tips that may help you if you are having trouble accessing AO3:

Try clearing your browser's cache and cookies
Try using a different browser
Try using a VPN
Try accessing AO3 from a different device

If you are still having trouble accessing AO3 and the website is back online, you can contact the website's administrators for help.

When will AO3 be back up?

As of July 11, 2023, AO3 is still offline due to the DDoS attack. The website's administrators have not given a specific timeline for when the website will be back up, but they have said that it could be weeks.

The attack has been a major inconvenience for fans of fan fiction, who have been unable to access their favorite stories. The attack has also caused financial hardship for AO3, as the website's administrators have had to pay for extra bandwidth to mitigate the attack.

The website's administrators are working hard to restore AO3, and they have asked fans to be patient. They have also said that they will provide updates on the website's status as they become available.

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