Have you ever wondered about past libraries throughout global history, which have been destroyed either by accident or malicious intent, and in turn losing valuable knowledge transcribed on books and texts?
Well, today the physical libraries are not the only knowledge centres at risk of losing valuable human records in understanding the world we live in. Our digital history via the internet could be facing a black hole of being lost forever. Recently the Internet Archive experienced a cyber attack from hackers... sparking fears on the potential worst case scenario.
So why is this happening? And what are we doing to protect our past? To discuss the importance of digital archives, 4ZZZ's Toni Pankaluic spoke with Professor George Buchanan, Deputy Dean of Research at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University's School of Computing Technologies to learn more about the cyberattack as well as digital preservation currently happening for the future.
For a deep dive...
To gain a basic understanding of what is the Internet Archive and it's Wayback Machine... click the hyperlinks. Digital preservation is of vital importance in keeping data and files accessible, learn why it is important in saving our internet history. The United States' Library of Congress is an example of another organisation engaging in digital preservation of records and information.

Your 11AM Zedlines with Yuchen, Dan and Ethan
IMG: From wikimedia commons under CC3.0

Your 10AM Zedlines with Asha, Ava and Charlie

Your 9AM Zedlines with Dan, Yuchen and Ethan
IMG: From wikimedia commons under CC3.0

Your 8AM Zedlines with Asha, Ava and Charlie (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Your 11AM Zedlines with HG, Sarah, and Eden

Your 9AM Zedlines with HG, Alec, Eden, Sarah, and Vivek

Your 8AM Zedlines with Alec, Vivek, and Sarah

Your 11AM Zedlines with Cass, Hailey and Georgie.

Your 10AM Zedlines with Georgie and Hailey.

Your 9AM Zedlines with Cass and Hailey.
Image credit: Cory Doctorow

Your 8AM Zedlines with Cass and Georgie.
Image Credit: Mavio Silva

Your 8AM Zedlines with Livinia, Clem and Mack

Your 11am Zedlines with Ellen, Niamh and Alannah

Your 10am Zedlines with Ellen, Alannah and Niamh

Your 9am Zedlines with Alannah and Niamh
Your 8am Zedlines with Ellen and Alannah

Your 11AM Zedlines with Asha and Yuchen (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Your 10AM Zedlines with Ava and Ethan (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Your 9AM Zedlines with Asha and Yuchen (Image via Public Domain Pictures)

Your 8AM Zedlines with Ava and Ethan (Image via Flickr)

Your 10am Zedlines with Vivek, Stella and Eden.

Your 8am zedlines with Em, Stella and Eden

Your 11am Zedlines with Cass and Georgie

Your 10AM Zedlines with Hailey and Lachlan

Your 9am Zedlines with Georgie and Cass.

Your 8AM Zedlines with Lachlan and Hailey.

Your 10AM Zedlines with Mack
IMG: Supplied from infinityplanet.com

Your 9AM Zedlines with Mack
IMG: From Wikimedia under CC4.0