Posted by Jason Remillard on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 @ 08:58 AM
Responding to increased attacks and more sophisticated
approaches by hackers, effective immediately ALL subscription packages from SSM will now be scanned for Malware at minimum TWICE a day.
Higher level packages will have the sites subjected to the scans three or more times a day. We are finding with external or even internally hosted ad networks, the prevalence of Malware insertions is increasing. As well, we are trying to confirm, but it looks like our friendly googlebot is getting more aggressive on the Malware detection stance as well, potentially putting your site at a higher risk of being 'caught' by Google.
So, at no extra cost, we've increased the frequency of all scanning options, and expect this to continue onwards.
PS> Don't forget to check out our latest product addition - The Secure WordPress Plugin - now with over 160,000 Direct INSTALLS!
Posted by Sam Leeson on Thu, Jun 17, 2010 @ 03:22 PM
While reading through blog posts this morning I was greeted with this one from
Acunetix indentifying reasons why consumers should be wary of "[hopping] aboard the Web Vulnerability Scanning bandwagon." Their article raises several valuable reasons as to why deciding to repair your own system may be more harmful than helpful. What the article did not describe was why services like ours at SiteSecurityMonitor.com are an essential tool for large and small companies alike.
When you register with SSM you can be sure that you are not only scanning for website vulnerabilities within your own system but also that you are seeking out and identifying malware that may have infected your entire network. Because the whole focus of SSM is to be able to identify malware and vulnerability issues within the sites of our clients we are able to direct all of our resources to continuously update and remedy the ever-increasing number of viruses set to damage a website.
Certainly I can support the idea that Acunetix raises about how easy it is to find, buy and use an "outdated, unproven, ‘free' scanner" and that's why we are here. There are so many options out there that it can feel overwhelming to know where to begin to look for help. That said, these days with the media outlining how easily hackers seem to be getting a hold of large companies like Adobe and Apple's iPad then why wouldn't you be anxious about the safety of your own website?
If you aren't sure about the services we offer then I encourage you to give us a try before you commit. Fill out the "Get A Free Scan" form on the right side of this page and let us tell you what we find. According to clients like Jack Summers, of Radioworld.ca, the research shows that "SSM earned high marks are the most community-oriented and helpful solution in the [malware and vulnerability scanning] industry." Let our service speak for itself.
Posted by Jason Remillard on Thu, Jun 10, 2010 @ 09:03 AM
As I watch the debacle unfold in what is quickly becoming widely known 
as one of the worlds worst environmental disasters - I watch with interest the actions of Mr. Hayward - the CEO and pointman for the BP Company.
Since I've been working part/full/over-time on my Executive MBA for the past year, leadership and its attributes and different flavours has been a subject of interest for me recently. Watching Mr. Hayward, and his reactions will be fodder for business schools for the years to come and judging by the recent lashing he's receive from Harvard Press - it probably won't be pretty.
We can talk about the horrendous impacts on the environment, lifestyles and in some cases, the very being of many communities along the shore for hours. Being an amateur suba diver and lover of all things water-based, I'm aghast and personally very afraid for the aquatic ecosystem going forward.
However, the Harvard article tweaked something in me - more of a case of deja vu really. When we look at other 'wide spread' issues - such as massive data breached or widespread malware infections - we see alot of the same actions of management. To be sure, academia has done alot of work in this area - the 5 steps of disclosure - lie first, slowly admit, backpeddal, sweep, etc.
Just look at the current state of our own industry! Over the past 6 weeks, GoDaddy has been suffering massive attacks of malware and wordpress cracks. 100's per minute sometimes. Watching their actions on their forums, and how they've handled some of the customer issues reminds me of the need to have a proper disclosure procedure built into your operational processes. For sure not the first time, but GoDaddy should have some experience in this area and be a leader for others to follow in this regard. Everyone has problems. Sometimes the problems are too hard to fix, or hydrates get in the way and mess up great plans. Other times, you need to buy yourself time to let your experts settle in and figure out just what is going on.
Either way, the crisis consultants have methodologies for dealing with these sort of things (I'm sure Tigers' consultants are looking for work now) - and it's something we as professionals and service providers need to look more seriously at. Witness the recent activitiy around Adobe... They admit to the issues (finally), but as of yet, still don't produce a patch to potentially offset MILLIONS of infections around the world.
It saddens me to say, but perhaps what is really needed here is some good solid case law to remind vendors and service providers of their responsibilities. Sometimes it seems that the only way to get business to move in a more ethical and responsible manner is to add a financial metric to it. McDonalds reduced the high temperature of its coffee due to lawsuits. Tylenol introduced seals caps in the 80s due to the lawsuits there.
So do I think BP could learn from our industry on incident and eme
rgency response? To be sure, they are very different industries, impacts and processes. However, for me, the responsibilty of business to be protective of their clients, supportive and acknowledging of client concerns and responsible for their actions. These actions set businesses apart from all others organizations apart from others - and in the long term - is a great sustainable business activity sure to pay dividends (monetarily and sociality) in the future.