Tag Archives: Hacking

My Personal Website Was Hacked

Posted on by — 4 Comments ↓

GRRRR! I’m pretty angry – Although I know it’s not the end of the world (and it’s probably my own fault), when I was looking to update my website after a LONG absence, I discovered my pages were hacked and riddled with spam.

Lion

 

Life’s been tough enough for all of us, with Covid 19 and all, and I’m glad to share I’ve been keeping up to date with my writing just fine. However, with Joe heading to heaven not long ago, my focus has been keeping occupied with making sure my family and friends are safe, and entertaining my readers.

Why do these idiot demons insist on ruining what we try so hard to achieve by hacking our social media??? I know I am not alone; plenty of other have to deal with hacking, too.

Anyhow, I’m bailing out from my old domain and pleading for advice: What are my options, in your opinion, and the easiest website for me to begin anew? Please leave your suggestions in the comment section below – I’d consider your help a major favor.

In the meantime, please consider two of my new stories for your Kindle – the first is on pre-order, and I promise it’s a fun read. You can preorder it here: https://www.amazon.com/Tumbling-Into-Midnight-Loves-Salvation-ebook/dp/B08ZY4W4RL

https://www.amazon.com/Tumbling-Into-Midnight-Loves-Salvation-ebook/dp/B08ZY4W4RL

I’ve also changed up an oldie but goodie titled His Sacred Vow – New Cover, Updated Content, and I hope you’ll be pleased. https://www.amazon.com/His-Sacred-Susan-Jean-Ricci-ebook/dp/B071F5NWTS

I hope by the time you get this post, the update is live – both of my stories are just 99 cents or Free on Kindle Unlimited.

INVINCIBLE DESTINY

This is a collection you won’t want to miss!
“Whether you’re just starting out or starting over, losing your love or finding a new one, a first chance, or a second…maybe even a third, destiny is in your hands. It’s in your grasp. You find a way, you work hard, and you believe enough to make it happen.”

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RZ6SKZ4

Now about those website suggestions…I’m seriously needy and totally need your assistance!

Happy Passover and a Blessed Easter to Everyone Who Celebrates from my granddaughter!

A Wasted Day

Posted on by — 7 Comments ↓

For those who don’t know me, I’m pretty intense at times. Especially when I am focused and need to stay on track to complete my tasks. I’ll be the first to admit that the state of the world has kept me occupied more than I wish it would.

Luckily, the other day, I finally got my footing again and jumped back into work with both feet. Only to be brought to a standstill yesterday.

My day started out like any other, I worked on my marketing, answered my emails, dealt with my other business, and then I went back to my email to catch up on ones that didn’t need immediately attention. There was one from my website stating that UPDATES were done to my site and to check to make sure that it was working well. Okay, sounds simple enough, right?

Holy Batman!! My site was gone–crashed. Kaput! Well, crap! Okay, I’ve had this happen before, no biggie. Get on tech support, get it figured out. I got this.

Three hours later – three support people later – and I was learning that my website was HACKED. Not just screwed up from an UPDATED – but it has been hijacked and trashed! They tried to say it was my fault, say that I changed my permissions, that I caused the issue. Um–NO!!!

See, let’s jump back to April 21. I received this great email saying that they had my password. It was a really old password that could have gone to a bunch of different things that were of no importance–or so I thought. In this email, they said they had control of my computer, and my cameras. They also said they had a bunch of naughty videos that they would send to my contact list. Well, hard to do when my cameras are disabled and not connected to my computer, but whatever! I’m sure if there were videos, some people might have gotten a laugh or two.

At the end of the email – they were attempted to extort me for a 2000 bitcoin. Yeah, blocked the email and moved the email to a folder where I keep weird stuff (Can’t take the cop out of me).

So back to the story of being hacked, when I was finally able to restore databases (3 more hours later), I find that I need to go back all the way to April 20th – and BAM!!! There were 35 attempts to log into my website that day from an unknown spam IP address.

Needless to say, that after almost 8 hours of fussing with my website, I was done for the day and got absolutely nothing else done! I did, however, change every freaking password, added extra safety features.

Today is another day, and I am back to focusing on what I need to get done. Like preparing for my newest release, Mission: Accept that comes out on May 22nd.

Mission: Accept is the second story in the Rise Again Warrior series.

Dana Donahue might be Shane Logan’s cousin, but she’s nothing like him—she’s quite the opposite of him. Her thoughts focus on what money and people can do for her. She never approved of Shane joining the military and knows little about the world he has lived in for most of his life. All that will change when she has to ask him for a job after her father cuts her off.

Derek Stall lives on the streets by choice—not circumstance. Memories of what he did under order sometimes haunt him, other times give him the strength to move through one more day until he can finish the mission he started.

A chance meeting between Dana and Derek will lead to an unlikely friendship that might just save his life, but the drastic differences between them could be the dividing wedge that keeps them apart.

When Derek feels he has to leave Rise Again Warrior to complete his mission, he begins to realize that he could be leaving behind more than just a few friends. Could he be leaving behind the possibility of a healthy future before he finally accepts his past?

Amazon
Kobo
iBooks
Nook