No, not a second Bush administration. That’s nothing to crow about, unless for some reason you really hate the middle class and want to see them gone. This entry’s title refers to new developments with this here blog.For the last couple weeks visitors here have had to endure a continuing problem. No, not my Bush-bashing. That’s a public service. The problem was Windows users would end up downloading a Trojan horse redirect. At first I thought I might have caused the problem, but I could not track down any evidence within my own web space. I learned however that the exploit was actually on my host’s server, which explained why it was showing up on every single page on my website. The exploit disappeared after I contacted my host, but then reappeared a day or two later — and then continued to reappear for most of the rest of October.
Mine was not the only site affected, many were. And we were all bewildered at how our host, IPowerWeb, was doing so little to correct the problem, prevent its return, or even to communicate with us. While doing further research, I discovered a couple interesting posts about IPowerWeb. The first is from someone called db3204:
| The horror of Ipowerweb can not be emphasized enough. […] Most recently Ipower had a virus on their server. The following should indicate their lack of concern for customers. This virus went on for days (at least 6 or 7) spreading itself and Ipower treated it like a routine problem. Any of my customers who went to my site got the virus as I√≠m sure was the case for hundreds of other site owners. Even google cache had the virus. Finally, they got rid of the virus, but no followup, no offer of how to help those who got it, and so on. Ipower went back to business as normal, ignoring their customers and offering [no] excuses. |
Similarly, over on Computer Cops.biz, lizaeyes had this to say (on October 14):
| Today has been a disaster. I have 4 sites with ipower and each one is effected by a virus on their server (their server has the virus—host 66). When I go to one of my sites, I’m asked if I want to download some software, which their is know way to escape, than I’m redirected to a porn site. Meanwhile, my computer is infected by a virus that destroys my software. I called Ipower and they are aware of the problem. I have emailed them several times wanting to know the status, what is the virus name and how to fix it locally since it has infected my local computer as well. What amazes me is that Ipower is aware of this virus on the server, yet they let the websites (they have thousands of sites on this host), keep running and spreading the virus to other users who go to those sites. Isn’t there somewhere to report such irresponsibility? Ipower doesn’t seem to be to concern about how this virus is effecting other people. It’s as if they don’t want to admit their is a problem. Anyways, this has been going on since I woke up this morning. It is now 3pm. So in those hours Ipower could of spread virus to thousands of other computers, the fact that the virus redirects customers to pron site, is hurting the reputation of the domain names and they have no estimate when it will be fixed nor will they provide a solution to fix it locally. Isn’t there a place you can report this type of problem to? Ipower sure doesn’t seem to care. |
When the Tojan horse reappeared last weekend, I had enough. The problem continued throughout Monday, but by then I was already shopping for a new host. Rather than lose my site while transitioning to a new one, I bought a new domain (a “.org” as companion to my “.com”) and have spent the last couple days recreating my blog’s database and moving files over. My new shortfatguy.org domain just came online tonight — propagating, as they say — and I have already started updating it with new entries here, while the “.com” blog has been abandoned. I plan on maintaining the “.com” domain, leaving my old HTML pages there; but my “.org” domain will now be the new home of my blog.
Welcome.
