4chan resumes operations after 2 weeks, details reasons for shutdown
What's the story
4chan, the controversial online forum infamous for its unfiltered discussions, has resumed operations after nearly two weeks of suspension. The website's official blog post titled "Still Standing" gave a detailed account of what led to this temporary shutdown earlier this month. As per the site's status checker, while the boards and front page are operational again, features like posting and image uploads are still unavailable.
Attack aftermath
Cyberattack forces 4chan to suspend operations
The suspension of 4chan stemmed from a major cyberattack on April 14. The attack compromised the site's source code and multiple databases, prompting moderators to shut down the servers in an effort to prevent further damage. The blog post described the incident as "catastrophic," adding that it also resulted in unauthorized access to personal information of members of the moderation team and many users.
Resource challenges
Inadequate resources and funding hinder 4chan's security
The blog post blamed the breach on a lack of resources, particularly "skilled man-hours," required for updating the site's code and infrastructure. This was further compounded by financial constraints, with securing funding being a challenge for 4chan. The blog post noted that "Advertisers and payment providers willing to work with 4chan are rare, and are quickly pressured by activists into canceling their services."
Site updates
4chan implements changes, seeks volunteers for recovery
In wake of the recent events, 4chan has made some major changes. The /f/ board will stay disabled due to security risks of .swf file format. PDF uploads are also disabled temporarily, but will be reintroduced soon. 4chan is also looking for volunteers to help rebuild the website. Despite all the challenges and financial issues, moderation team is committed to keeping 4chan alive. "No matter how hard it is, we are not giving up," they said in the blog post.