How an Injection Attack Took us Offline, and How We Fought Back—Remediation and Prevention Guide
Last week I had just published a highly visible post (the Analysis of #snc2009, the Social Networking Conference), and I was just starting to promote it when I discovered that Global Human Capital had been blacklisted by Google for distributing malware! This effectively branded us with the scarlet letter. Global Human Capital runs on WordPress, is hosted on Network Solutions’ infrastructure, but we ended up on the wrong side of the numbers on Thursday.
This post will be useful to blogmasters who may not think of themselves as Webmasters but who face the increasing threat of malware attacks, which are increasing geometrically. The time is getting closer when you or someone you know will be affected. I’m not an engineer, but I got hacked, and this is a quick resource in which I aim to cut your learning curve. It took me four days to figure out what had happened and what I had to do, which I’ll share below. I also include what I’m doing to prevent future attacks to my websites and blogs. I invite your comments and suggestions.
First I’ll explain what happened, how I got us back online and what I’ve done to prevent reoccurrence. If you have an emergency and want to skip the context, skip Anatomy of a Malware Attack, and go directly to the Malware Bootcamp. Think of this as a guide, as I’m compiled many useful links, too. Although it’s written from the perspective of using WordPress, LAMP, Mozilla, Google and Mac OS X, I’ll attempt to write it so it will be useful regardless of the tools you use to manage your blog or website.
Continue reading Hacked! Practical Guide for Surviving Malware Attacks on WordPress
Specializing in Web 2.0 and social networking since early 2006, I’ve formulated strategy and programs for hundreds of business and government leaders. The main goal of these initiatives has been engaging people in the most appropriate and effective way. Since many of my clients are B2B (business to business, commercial) executives, I have worked extensively with LinkedIn because it has been most relevant for most situations (it still is).
Since the early 2000s, everyone has struggled to develop measurable economic models for social media and Web 2.0, mostly with little success. During 2007 and 2008, CSRA has worked with clients on several levels hammering out models to pass enterprise muster, and here I will briefly share one that shows considerable promise for its practicality and utility to businesses. The immediate context is B2B business development and sales, but it is applicable to numerous other enterprise processes as well.
In August, I have been intensely involved in developing the next iteration of executive LinkedIn training (the Executive’s Guide to LinkedIn, EGLI), which has proven as illuminating as it has fruitful, so I will share key elements of the quick innovation approach I used as well as how Linkedin contributed to it. I believe that by collaborating with EGLI alumni and other people in my network, I have fielded the most innovative and valuable offering ever. I’d love to get your feedback, too! (links below)
I am pleased to announce the creation of “Practice,” an exciting new Category on the Global Human Capital Journal. Practice is the first new category I’ve created since launch in 2005. It will give you behind-the-scenes insights into the innovation I am conducting with clients in my consultancy,