Squidoo Cashflow Series - Nothing can stop earning even hacked !

I would like to take this moment to thank all of you who have come to visit my lens. Your support is valuable to me. If there is any thing that you would like to comment or suggest, please feel free to do so. If there is any part that you find particulary interesting, please rate it and sign the guest book. You can also add it to your favourites, email your friends or blog about it.

A special acknowledgment

I have to especially thank to Jenet. Without her quiet encouragement, "If I am doing it, you can do it too", this lens could not be seen. Jenet is a very successful lens author. One of her lenses, "Are you a Stay at Home Mom (or Dad) Interested in Earning a Monthly Income," was particularly inspirational to me. In her article, she shared her experience without hiding the truth: the difficulty in the beginning and her determination to achieve her goal. Jenet, you are my idol.

You mean my website?

That's right, everything happens for a reason. The reason that a website was being hacked is because the site is in a more prominent position than anytime before. Who knows about it and and could be found if it is not obvious? There are billions of similar business articles circulate throughout the Internet every second. Each individual is a tiny molecule submerged within the world wide web.

As we know if you want to come up to the surface of the ocean, there is a lot of work you need to do. As the Former Prime Minister of England, Margaret Thatcher said, "I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near."

Remember that the effort that you put will never be wasted. Results will come if you keep on persevering. Sensibly adjusting the direction if needed. Update the content frequently or even modify and rewrite the article. One day you certainly will reach the top of the Ocean. Don't forget, thesurface of any entity, not only SEO ranking is also a risky position for anybody to stay. Here we are talking about your website. When it becomes popular, your website will be criticized by various kinds of audience.

Let us look at it this way. The exact issue is happening in real life. If your website is a shop at the corner of a street, some people might stop to look at your window, enter your store and become your customer. Whereas window shoppers who do not enter is even worse than having people spitting at your window. What can you do in this case? Wash the window and hire someone to guard your shop? Or will you simply continue doing your business?

Be happy, if your website is being hacked. Results of your effort is showing up now. It means you are now attracting visitors.

Congratulations! Good job well done! You are one step closer to your goal: making money from the Internet.

Keep focusing on the positive side and visualize on what you want. Enjoy the pleasure that the results provide. Be happy and grateful for your accomplishment. This is a foundation teaching I have learned from my personal development course. Hope that it you have enjoyed reading it.

This morning, just liked any other morning, easy, peaceful and is beginning of a new day.

As usual, I woke up very early and start my daily activities. I first went to visit my sites. Let me tell you secretly, I treat my site exactly as my dear loving son who is send out to defend our national territory in a far far away, an isolated island at the North end. He, who stand guards lonely, loyally watching and welcoming any visitors at the frontier. Even though he is standing, guarding in the up front, a relatively dangerous location but he is never never equipped with arm. We trust and believe if we do not demonstrate any provocation that means we would like to share the peace with anybody. Visitors should feel this is a peaceful safety place to browse.

However, this morning tranquility has be blemished. The first sight that flashed into my sight was the title of my site, it changed!

"Hacked by JaCKal" instead of "Simplified eBusiness Workshop | simple eBusiness"
Click at the "Show time" on the hacked page, brings you to a billboard. There were 11 sites being listed which is being hacked on the same day. It was very shock from the beginning and tried to figure out what happen and what could I do to fix it?

I have been working in computer industry for a long time and always hear about hackers. Knowing, there were some geniuses were acted like lost angels. Thank GOD, for their exist . He puts them among us and help our industry progress. Without their disturbances, who would like to invest time or money to improve, make live easier.

I was so disappointed for a long time, because my sites have never been attacked. I was wondering might it be ? I am not up to a scale that they don't even interested to glimpse.

This is the first time my site being hacked. I can tell you, I am so excited, I took snapshots of my hacked pages, the billboard. Reproduced the video clip. And even download the hacking scripts, anybody who is interested and take a look how the scripts (actually only one script in different versions) look like. Here is the script. Precaution, safely protect yourself before you run the script! Here is a suggestion on what to do to protect your environment.

Being hacked is not a shame at all. Actually you should acknowledge yourself because you have done something 100% right. Consider attack as a merit certificate, a level of success indicator. Bravo !
(I took down snapshots and downloaded the script that hacked my site last week. I will show you lately what he has done to my site and let us celebrate this memorable moment together. ) 
 Being hacked shouldn't be covered up, let everybody, your friends, buddies, social networking members and etc. know. Loudly announce about what happened to your site and talk for ever. If you are a newbie, congratulation! Being hacked is a good sign, it indicates you have reach the threshold of next level. If you were in business for certain years, good for you too that means finally you got it. Normally we tell people what we have successfully done, right? Same as this one, you should reveal it, share the story and show others how success you were? How can you reach this level?
Your development, your site or your announcement if couldn't arouse curiosity or couldn't attract those warrior's attention. That means even genius couldn't find you , who else know about you? Thanks to this genius, worrior what he has done is just an recognition. If you were hacked, that means you are somebody now!! You should be excited by the result. You are now being differentiated from other millions of sites with a similar subject.  
In this moral battle, can you see, you are winner. The loser is trying to slow down your progression, destruct your confidence . However, you totally disappointed him, you never fail. You keep on your way up and continue in your business. You have cast away the disturbance and keep growth with a stronger strength. You are very proud because you are a winner, a champion.  
For the loser this is his last insignificant skill he has. Sorrowfully to say, this is a feeble facetious activity, has no market value. Even worst he cann't put it in your Resume.  
 

First let us review what the scaredy-cat had done to my page and what the naive scene looks like. Please click to run the following video if it is not playing.

Continue from "Desperate person with Desperate result"

The scripts used to run his page is totally no technique or any advance skill needed. It is not worth to discus about at all. Very simple, just a link to his site. Anyone who has basic HTML knowledge and know how to put pictures together in flash could easily finish it in 10 15 minutes. There was only one script with two different extension to replace my htm and php files.

The only big deal so far is, how did he sneak into my host ? May be, It is because I am using a shared host. He jumped across the fence from a neighbour. Secondly, I didn't realize the importance of an upgrade announcement declared by the software developer. I ignored the vulnerability warning. This is a mistake that I should learn and paid the price.

But any way, no matter how much effort you put to shield yourself, breaches always exist. I remember when I learn history , during the Medieval age, the so called "dark middle age" there were feudal vassals hierarchy. Area of land were given by the monarch as their bestowal. On this piece of given land they built fortified castle to protect their family and their worthwhile properties. Everyone within the castle were enclosed and safeguarded by thick enceinte,. This feature could efficiently keep away form any enemy attack. However, beasts, lynxes and even dogs could easily or accidentally creep in and out of the wall through cavity, sewage or an unseen lacuna.

After the incident,I tell myself. it is time to do something, hurry up no more delay or being lazy.
Action is needed immediately to prevent from any other possible future impinge. Steps implemented will be discussed in the following article.

Hello my Dear "Warrior",
Thank you for coming and left me a "merit certificate", this is good time for us to say "Good bye".
Warrior never come again, No tear !

So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehenI'd like to stay and taste my first champagne

Continue from saying good bye

Before I share the steps that I did to improve the security level. Let me talk a little bit about my hosting.

For economic reason, I can only afford a shared hosting. It also has several advantages which we can not neglected. Other than moneywise reason, a shared hosting is appropriated for me. Especially, I am not a hardware or networking person. I can not handle those complex wiring, connection or installation that is required for setting up my own dedicated server or even a non managed VPS. Professional engineering support is necessary to me.
For a shared host, I can have them all.

Second, most shared hosting providers separate database and root directory into 2 different servers. Big Advantage! Two servers means 2 passwords, warrior can luckily broke into one of them but the chance of sneak into 2 were low.

Third, my site was not developed by myself as most of the time I did. It was created with Joomla, a content management system and application software . Because of its popularity, supports were everywhere both from insider and enthusiastic freelancer.


After the incident, I search solution to prevent from any future takeover,.
Other than the basic action : delete the stumbling block only.

Here is the modification script that I added into different files and directories to increase the security level. Click at the image for a larger view.

Being hacked sounds terrible but is not, it is fun. It helps to improve knowledge and skill too.
With the above suggestions, I know they are not complete but with these basic precautions in places, at least you could stay a little bit away from apprentical hacker.

Here is my last stone to lay
1. Being hacked - > no big deal, is not the end of the world.
2. Calm down -> if any related to 3rd party's privacy -> report to Law Enforcement Agency.
3. Consult your Application software provider for recommendation.
4. Create lenses let everyone knows how much fun you had.
5. Join supporting groups, create traffic.

888. Money is just a consequence.