No, that’s isn’t me in the photograph but it’s how I’ve felt this week.
You haven’t seen me much this week. I had a handful of articles to write. One about Passover, another about a book I’ve read, a give away for Venus in Fur (coming soon) and other miscellaneous topics. But something happened earlier in the week that prevented me from doing any of it.
I got PHARMA HACKED!!!!!!!
Yes, anyone looking for Viagra could officially buy it right here on the Culture Mom. There were embedded linked scattered around my site and if you google The Culture Mom Paris today, you’ll get this:
#1 → Purchase viagra online. Low Prices! Best … - The Culture Mom
www.theculturemom.com/app-review-kids-save-paris/
Purchase viagra online – 10% OFF for all reorders. Bonus pills for every order. #1 Canada Pharmacy – non-prescription drugs at low prices. Delivery of drugs is .
How do you like that? Me, a theater, travel, film lover who blogs about how I spend my time making my children’s time, as well as my own, rich and rewarding, selling Viagra! Having erectile dysfunction? You’re in the right place!
By the way, if you are reading this and were involved in hacking my site, please leave.
It’s funny. A few weeks ago, I was communicating with a publicist about a press trip, and when she clicked on the link I sent her to my press page to show her manager, she sent me back a puzzled response saying that the link was about Viagra. At that point, I thought it was a small technical glitch. Little did I know.
But other than this clear sign on Google the other night that something was amuck, there was another huge sign this past weekend when I received hundreds of spam comments, many related to Viagra, that were flooding my site and getting past my security plug-in’s.
So, what did I do. Just in case this ever happens to you, here is what transpired in the last few days:
1. I didn’t freak out. In the past, I would have, but I stayed calm. This is VERY important in times like this. I had faith it would sort it out.
2. I contacted my amazing web designer, Karen Lewis, at Simply Amusing Designs. She gave me a steps, starting with signing on with a web site called Sucuri, a service that can remove malware. I immediately signed up for a year for only $89.99. They offer web-based integrity monitoring and malware detection solutions and they work FAST. Within hours, they cleaned up the hot mess my site was in.
3. Then I took a deep breath. But the party was not over.
4. I had to change all my passwords. My admin, my FTP, everything. I even found an erroneous administrator in my site and removed it immediately. My husband helped, as did Karen.
5. Then we had to update all my software, all my plug-ins.
6. I had to check my computer, too, so I did a thorough scan of my Mac. It came out clean (thank god, it’s my work computer!)
7. Sound fun? Then I discovered the virus had spread to my company’s site, MamaDrama.com. How did I know? Viagra comments!
8. So, I did all of the above with that site, too.
9. Breathing yet? Almost..
10. It will take a few weeks to remove the messaging on Google that my site has been “compromised” and you may very well find me connected to Viagra. It ain’t over til the fat lady sings!
But I feel much better, I know my site is clean, and Sucuri will keep scanning every six hours for the rest of the year. All I can say is that getting hacked stinked, and I really love this site. I missed writing here and I’m glad to be back.
Wow, what a pain! Kudos on dealing with it so professionally and quickly. Now it’s time for a LARGE cocktail, yes?