Comments on: WARNING: Google’s GMail security failure leaves my business sabotaged http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/ Graphic and logo designer based in Edinburgh, UK, with a passion for logo design. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:56:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: W Merical http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-95803 W Merical Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:07:20 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-95803 I was doing research for a client (and became side-tracked) when I came across your article...I felt your pain and frustration of your every thought and move. Then when I reached the part they were in FL, I was ready to run down there to help out till I realized the domain name at the top of the page I was reading, lol. Your story is a real eye opener. Thank you for sharing. I love your site, your work, and appreciate the time to keep it up. (Now I feel the pressure to update my site, lol). You don't have to post this...I just wanted to thank you! I was doing research for a client (and became side-tracked) when I came across your article…I felt your pain and frustration of your every thought and move. Then when I reached the part they were in FL, I was ready to run down there to help out till I realized the domain name at the top of the page I was reading, lol. Your story is a real eye opener. Thank you for sharing. I love your site, your work, and appreciate the time to keep it up. (Now I feel the pressure to update my site, lol).

You don’t have to post this…I just wanted to thank you!

]]> By: David Airey http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-95704 David Airey Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:33:35 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-95704 Sue, Thanks for the concern, and I'm sorry to learn of what happened to your associate. Have they approached the owner of the new website? If so, what did they say when challenged? Sue,

Thanks for the concern, and I’m sorry to learn of what happened to your associate. Have they approached the owner of the new website? If so, what did they say when challenged?

]]> By: Sue Brettell http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-95671 Sue Brettell Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:43:20 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-95671 David, what a horrible experience. I'm so glad it's resolved now. Your site crops up in just about every “best of” list in the designer world ….your heart must have sunk at the prospect of fixing all those links. i really feel for you, it’s no different in my mind to personal assault or burglary. I’m actually doing a search on behalf of an associate who’s currently feeling the same sense of bewilderment, shock and anger at having her business identity and reputation pirated. Many designers blog about having their designs stolen and their sites hacked but I’m not finding much to help my friend. Briefly, she answered an advertisement offering a reciprocal advert link on a site offering resources to her target audience. She gave information about her business in confidence and the links were established. All was well until she discovered the site owner had registered a domain name almost exactly like hers and set up a similar website offering the same services. Not an exact copy, but it’s pretty certain he’s trading on her well-established reputation in a niche market. The big question is: how do you quantify lost revenue when someone highjacks your domain or creates a site that’s almost exactly the same? It’s very hard to prove that your business has suffered a loss of visitors to your site - or that the loss has resulted in a reduction in income. In your case, it’s much more cut-and-dried: someone hacked into your emails and stole your domain. In my friend’s case she hasn’t had anything stolen as such. She gave the perp access to her business information in confidence and good faith and he hasn’t actually hacked anything. However, he’s profiting from her IP and reputation by capturing some of her target audience. Any thoughts on how she should proceed would be much appreciated. Please keep blogging about this subject - it helps everyone similarly affected. Now I’m going to check my gmail settings. Yikes. David, what a horrible experience. I’m so glad it’s resolved now.

Your site crops up in just about every “best of” list in the designer world ….your heart must have sunk at the prospect of fixing all those links. i really feel for you, it’s no different in my mind to personal assault or burglary.

I’m actually doing a search on behalf of an associate who’s currently feeling the same sense of bewilderment, shock and anger at having her business identity and reputation pirated.

Many designers blog about having their designs stolen and their sites hacked but I’m not finding much to help my friend. Briefly, she answered an advertisement offering a reciprocal advert link on a site offering resources to her target audience. She gave information about her business in confidence and the links were established. All was well until she discovered the site owner had registered a domain name almost exactly like hers and set up a similar website offering the same services. Not an exact copy, but it’s pretty certain he’s trading on her well-established reputation in a niche market.

The big question is: how do you quantify lost revenue when someone highjacks your domain or creates a site that’s almost exactly the same? It’s very hard to prove that your business has suffered a loss of visitors to your site - or that the loss has resulted in a reduction in income.

In your case, it’s much more cut-and-dried: someone hacked into your emails and stole your domain. In my friend’s case she hasn’t had anything stolen as such. She gave the perp access to her business information in confidence and good faith and he hasn’t actually hacked anything. However, he’s profiting from her IP and reputation by capturing some of her target audience.

Any thoughts on how she should proceed would be much appreciated. Please keep blogging about this subject - it helps everyone similarly affected. Now I’m going to check my gmail settings. Yikes.

]]> By: David Airey http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-94458 David Airey Fri, 23 May 2008 08:24:40 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-94458 Paul, Glad you enjoyed the story, and I appreciate your offer of help. Steve, Not sure why the WordPress pages don't find your cropped image addresses. However, one thing to bear in mind (which is quite important), is that search engines can't store your files unless you use the full address. Therefore, you can rule out any additional traffic from Google image searches etc. There are pros and cons. Paul,

Glad you enjoyed the story, and I appreciate your offer of help.

Steve,

Not sure why the WordPress pages don’t find your cropped image addresses. However, one thing to bear in mind (which is quite important), is that search engines can’t store your files unless you use the full address. Therefore, you can rule out any additional traffic from Google image searches etc.

There are pros and cons.

]]> By: Steve http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-94234 Steve Tue, 20 May 2008 20:56:11 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-94234 David - you mention in the post about having to re-link all your images as you were using absolute paths to them as opposed to relative paths. I am trying to figure out how to do the same but when I place images in the images folder at the top level directory (so like www.domain.com/images/image1.jpg would just become images/image1.jpg) the wordpress pages can not find them - am I doing something wrong? Steve <em>Steve's last blog post...<a href="http://eightyonedesign.co.uk/blog" rel="nofollow">What makes a good business card?</a></em> David - you mention in the post about having to re-link all your images as you were using absolute paths to them as opposed to relative paths. I am trying to figure out how to do the same but when I place images in the images folder at the top level directory (so like http://www.domain.com/images/image1.jpg would just become images/image1.jpg) the wordpress pages can not find them - am I doing something wrong?

Steve

Steve’s last blog post…What makes a good business card?

]]> By: Paul Bliss http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-93741 Paul Bliss Tue, 06 May 2008 15:09:11 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-93741 David - Wow, great story, sorry to hear about all the trouble you had to go thru in order to get your property back, but glad to know that you were able to retain your domain. If you feel it would help, I'd like to offer our free pdf guide on 23 ways to protect your identity - http://identitytheftprotectionforme.com/23.id.theft.protection.tips.pdf Thanks! Paul David -

Wow, great story, sorry to hear about all the trouble you had to go thru in order to get your property back, but glad to know that you were able to retain your domain.

If you feel it would help, I’d like to offer our free pdf guide on 23 ways to protect your identity - http://identitytheftprotectionforme.com/23.id.theft.protection.tips.pdf

Thanks!

Paul

]]> By: David Airey http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-91058 David Airey Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:22:13 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-91058 Doug, It seems you missed my update (mentioned at the foot of the article). My domain was returned, and I paid the theif nothing. Doug,

It seems you missed my update (mentioned at the foot of the article). My domain was returned, and I paid the theif nothing.

]]> By: Doug Rosbury http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-91043 Doug Rosbury Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:21:28 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-91043 (Much ado about nothing.) Your self pride at not wanting to give the thief any money is in your way. See now how much the cost will be to you to go to court. pay him his small amount and engineer the whole matter to trick him out of the spoils. He will certainly take pleasure that the cost is so high to you. Don't let your emotion dictate. use your considerable mental ability unencumbered by personal pride. You can do this without having to go to court. Give him a relative pittance and be done with it. Self pride is the enemy of success. use your mind rather than being your own enemy.---Good luck---Doug Rosbury (Much ado about nothing.) Your self pride at not wanting to give the thief any money
is in your way. See now how much the cost will be to you to go to court. pay him his small amount and engineer the whole matter to trick him out of the spoils. He will
certainly take pleasure that the cost is so high to you. Don’t let your emotion dictate. use your considerable mental ability unencumbered by personal pride.
You can do this without having to go to court. Give him a relative pittance and be
done with it. Self pride is the enemy of success. use your mind rather than being your own enemy.—Good luck—Doug Rosbury

]]> By: alex http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-84717 alex Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:36:25 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-84717 Can't wait for the TV movie. Can’t wait for the TV movie.

]]> By: David Airey http://www.davidairey.com/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-78759 David Airey Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:04:08 +0000 http://www.davidairey.co.uk/google-gmail-security-hijack/#comment-78759 Greg, I'd definitely go ahead with that separate email account for sensitive information. Don't rely on GMail to keep your information secure. Greg,

I’d definitely go ahead with that separate email account for sensitive information. Don’t rely on GMail to keep your information secure.

]]>