[Jeffery]

Over the past few months I have noticed that some forum signatures have links to sites infected with malware. The majority of the sites are in fact owned by members that post frequently.

I bring this up for a few good reasons:

• First and foremost, I do not want to visit a site infected with malware that will infect my computer with malware.
• As a site owner I consider it my responsibility to assure that my own sites are free of malware so as not to infect my visitors computers.

Other reasons:

• Some members here have some very reputable and profitable affiliate programs to join and I would create a campaign to send my visitors to which makes all parties money.
• However, if your site is infected with malware then I will not send my visitors to your site. That would have a high and negative impact on my own business and reputation when my subs are infected with malware.

In conclusion:


In the past I have contacted a few people that I would like to promote their product, but the malware was the issue holding me back. Those individuals cleaned their site for obvious reasons. In one case the site was cleaned only to be re-infected.


All of this boils down to being a responsible website owner. Scanning our site(s) on a frequent schedule will alert us to malware wherein we can clean it.


Jeffery 100% :-)


P.S. A tool I use and it is free to alert me to sites with malware is Avast from avast.com

[GomerMagtibay]

Yeah. I also use Avast. I downloaded the installer free from isohunt.com using uTorrent, and it comes with a valid "pro" license. I like it because it updates itself automatically everyday. It's a good anti-virus (anti-malware), it has a boot-time scan feature where it can scan your computer next time it boots allowing you to get rid of malicious files before they load up.

About what you said that our sites can be infected by malware, how is it possible? Are the sites coming from Stone and Pat still vulnerable for malware infection? And what should we do in case our site is infected by them (lmalware)?

[Patrician]

Any site on the internet is vulnerable to malware and any PC.

On a platform like Wordpress maybe a little more so.

I now install Wordpress with usernames other than 'admin' since that helps some.

It is also very important to make back ups of your site in case it does become infected.

Even when cleaned malware can mess up the format in different ways

Not that anything is bullet-proof but you can lessen your chances of being hacked and that is why it is very important to make your passwords as difficult as possible for your cpanel and wordpress.*

* at least 9 digits minimum- the more the better
* do not use real words
* combination of
-- both UPPER and lower case letters
-- numbers
-- special characters like $&^%(){}!~@#><][=+%*

If you give your password to anyone for example technical support - change it after they are done. Even if you trust them - stuff happens.

Of course it goes without saying have reliable, updated up to the minute (live update) anti-virus software, etc. on your PC. -

Be careful what you download just the same as you should never open attachments in email unless you know the sender and/or are expecting something.

If possible always download software from the actual source - rather than some site that says they have it - Google whatever it is to try to find the original source. Scan the file before you open it after downloading.

* * Keep your Wordpress and Plug-In Versions UPDATED. When you see the message in the WP dashboard that there is a new update CLICK THE MESSAGE - then CLICK UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY - it takes all of 5 seconds.

I have seen infections coming from outdated versions of Akismet
In 100% of the cases WP had an older version (not updated)

[Jeffery]

Originally Posted by GomerMagtibay

Yeah. I also use Avast. I downloaded the installer free from isohunt.com using uTorrent, and it comes with a valid "pro" license. I like it because it updates itself automatically everyday. It's a good anti-virus (anti-malware), it has a boot-time scan feature where it can scan your computer next time it boots allowing you to get rid of malicious files before they load up.

Personally, I would not download software from isohunt and any torrent simply because the software may be hacked to infect your computer with malware and turn your computer into a zombie.

Originally Posted by Patrician

If possible always download software from the actual source - rather than some site that says they have it - Google whatever it is to try to find the original source. Scan the file before you open it after downloading.

^ Best Advise ^

Originally Posted by GomerMagtibay

About what you said that our sites can be infected by malware, how is it possible?

There are numeriors ways, but here are a few:

1) When you download software from third parties like isohunt instead of downloading from the source. See above 'Best Advise.

2) When you install "some" (not all) plugins/software in the WSO section of this forum. My own 'Rule of Thumb' is to never buy/install a plugin that is encrypted.

Originally Posted by GomerMagtibay

Are the sites coming from Stone and Pat still vulnerable for malware infection?

None of the sites from Stone and Pat were installed with malware to the best of my knowledge. I have observed two reasons why some of the sites were infected with malware and I listed them above - essentially and unknowingly the owners infected their own sites after the sites were installed! This is not a matter of PIPS/Stone/Pat - It is a matter of the site owner.

Originally Posted by GomerMagtibay

And what should we do in case our site is infected by them (lmalware)?

That can be an easy fix or a difficult or sometimes there is no fix.

Determine the most recent software that was installed on your PC and your website as that is how websites are usually infected with malware and that same software may have sent the access credentials to a third party (hacker).

As Pat said..

Any site on the internet is vulnerable to malware and any PC.

Everything Pat said should be followed to the letter!

[khurramseo]

If some body have infected links before posting link or creation some link it must be verified by the standard Antivirus scanning system it will take some time to make system before posting any link that auto detect but i think its very good for site health or forms.

[Jeffery]

Originally Posted by khurramseo

If some body have infected links before posting link or creation some link it must be verified by the standard Antivirus scanning system it will take some time to make system before posting any link that auto detect but i think its very good for site health or forms.

Sorry, but I can not fully understand your English and what I do understand is borderline webspam.

Jeffery 100% :-)

[27coupons]

In some instances the web server its filled with malware, SQL injuction has been frequently used in our website case. One of the ways we keep a tab in our web server has malware is through Google webmasters which tells you in your dashboard if your website has been infected with malware and it has been quite helpful for us. Everyone should check their Google webmasters dashboard once in a while to see if their website has some malware.

[Jeffery]

Originally Posted by 27coupons

In some instances the web server its filled with malware, SQL injuction has been frequently used in our website case. One of the ways we keep a tab in our web server has malware is through Google webmasters which tells you in your dashboard if your website has been infected with malware and it has been quite helpful for us. Everyone should check their Google webmasters dashboard once in a while to see if their website has some malware.

Good tip!

Thank you for your contribution.

Jeffery 100% :-)

[Jeffery]

This is a free site to scan any "website" for malware and other nasty scripts:
Sucuri SiteCheck - Free Website Malware Scans

I use everyday primarily for:

1) Scanning other people's websites "before" I visit them

and

2) Scanning my own sites and my client's sites daily.

There are other sites like this, but I have found this to be the best; and it scans Java which other sites and desktop software do not.

Also, it performs a scan of the directory and shows a list of all the files in the directory.

Even shows if a WordPress version is outdated.

Jeffery 100% :-)

[Lex Redbone]

Warriors,

GREAT & knowledgeable posts here as usual!

I also have had troubles w/malware over the years. Currently, I also use Avast. Seems to be fine. I may upgrade to paid version for $20/yr/. ALSO, there's anti-malware software called "Malwarebytes", at "malwarebytes.org", AND "download.com".

ALSO, try software "Sandboxie", very useful.

I'm no expert HOWEVER should any decent Warriors need/want my help, just ask.
If I don't know the answer, I'll locate it. PRO BONO of course!!!!!!!!!

Lex Redbone aka REDBONE
USMC WARRIOR

[Stephanie Sullivan]

I use Avast and ThreatFire. The latter is free, made by ThreatExpert (behavior-based analysis) so, what Avast doesn't pick up, ThreatFire picks up.

Just a note: ThreatFire isn't an antivirus. With these, you can't install 2 in a single computer. It is a behavior scanner so it reports if a program is trying to do something wrong in your PC.

[morg2k2]

I had an issue like that when my webdesigner created my site, i dont know if it was from the theme, or whatever.... short story: had to hire a team of Pros to handle the malware that was on the code of the site. Used Sucuri.net and hey solved my issue in about 1 hour. So i believe these kind of services are most welcome to many of the marketeers around the world, unless you are a webdesigner or a coder will find the cause of it, but many people handle marketing and sales not technical skills i think. so this tip.

my 2 cents.

[winiw]

you better use Linux of FreeBSD !