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New Tool To Help Fight Web Site Hackers

I released a new open source, free tool that will hopefully help everyone in the fight against having their sites hacked.

We all hear about how often people’s sites get hacked. This tool won’t stop that from happening, but here’s what it *will* do.

Let’s say a hacker places some malicious code in either some existing files on your site, or in new files on your site. Regardless of which method he used, he got in and accomplished his goal. Now, unbeknownst to you, your site is either:

1) serving hidden links to unsavory places
2) or redirecting just search users to unsavory sites that is then infecting those users’ computers with malware
3) or some other equally nefarious thing.

Either way, your site is toast, even if it looks perfectly normal to the naked eye. You may have no idea anything has happened until one day (maybe weeks later) you realize that you’ve been kicked out of Google’s SERPs (search listings).

Now you frantically start trying to find out why, and maybe, if you’re lucky, you realize you’ve been hacked. Then you have to begin the process of finding the files with the malicious code. Good luck with that!

That’s the basic problem. My new tool will help with that problem to some extent.

What it won’t do…it won’t prevent the attack. There are other things you should be doing/using to help win that battle. But if you lose that battle, and the attack happens, my tool kicks into gear.

My tool, called MonitorHackdFiles, is like a sentry for your site. It watches your site, and when it detects a file has changed (or been added), it notifies you via email and tells you which file(s) was changed. Now you know very quickly that you’ve been attacked, and you can react just as quickly. Now you can take whatever measures are needed to lock the site down, and with luck, you’ll avoid ever having that malicious code show its ugly face to Google, other search engines, or users.

It’s entire goal is to watch and notify. What you do with the information is entirely up to you. But what you don’t know, CAN hurt you.

Back when I owned webchicklet.com, I put more info there about this tool. You can read it here.

Download the MonitorHackdFiles script for free, run the 5 minute install, and let it guard your site for you automatically.

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Article Summary:
New Tool To Help Fight Web Site Hackers

I released a new open source, free tool that will hopefully help everyone in the fight against having their sites hacked. We all hear about how often people’s sites get hacked. This tool won’t stop that from happening, but here’s what it *will* do. Let’s say a hacker places some malicious code in either some [...]

8 Responses to “New Tool To Help Fight Web Site Hackers”

  1. Wit (6 comments) says:

    That is a brilliant idea. I’m gonna try it right away.

    [bows]

    Reply
  2. VSO Business Success (2 comments) says:

    Donna, are You using this script now?
    What is the result?

    Reply
    • Donna (583 comments) says:

      Well, yes, in fact I do use it. It lets me know if any changes are made to the files on my server. I’m not sure what you mean by “what is the result”.

      Reply
  3. VSO Business Success (2 comments) says:

    Donna, I’m trying to be careful with all scripts (for example, if you install a script, which is harmful!).
    That is why at first I collect information about the script and only after that use it!
    Thanks for sharing!

    P.S. Few weeks ago, someone scaned my base by search like
    admin/admin.php
    admin/admin1.php and so on.
    So, I’m very strained

    Reply
  4. Donna (583 comments) says:

    VSO, your files are being scanned a lot more than you think. All of us have that problem whether we know it or not. Luckily, most of those scans and attempts are unsuccessful, but occasionally one gets through. That’s when MHF comes in handy.

    Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. MonitorHackdFiles Tool Helps Fight Site Hackers | WebChicklet | Just a Geek Girl says:

    [...] If after all of that, you’re still not sure what the heck this tool is for, I suggest reading another post I wrote about it over on the DazzlinDonna blog. I explain it in a slightly different way, so maybe [...]

    Reply
  2. Hacked Blogs: Who Ya Gonna Call? | DazzlinDonna says:

    [...] are some plugins that can sometimes help catch certain types of hacks, and you yourself wrote a very handy script designed to check the last modified dates on files located on the server and alert you of any [...]

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  3. Securing Your WordPress Site - Not Just For Big Boys Anymore | Search Engine People | Toronto says:

    [...] Donna Fontenot (a.k.a. "DazzlinDonna" has developed a great tool called "MonitorHackdFiles". It's a cron script that will help to alert you to files that are changed or new files that are added. It won't stop such an attack, but it will alert you via e-mail if it happens so you can immediately take action. Learn more about to install and use Donna's indispensable tool. [...]

    Reply

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