Hello Family !!!!
Welcome Back Home !!!!!
Thanks everyone for the love and concern!
Sister Queenie ... you are so krazee ...
... as i read the above response you posted, i couldn't help but think of what you wrote in the Moderator's Forum ...
... i died laughing !!!! ...
... you are so krazeeee !!! ... when i clicked on this thread to read your response, i was so hoping that it was the same you wrote in there ... so i could get my laff on again ... but i didn't even need it, 'cause just thinking of it got me laff'n again ...
... i know we aint spoze to bring Moderator stuff out into the house ... but man ... i want to go get that and post it out here so the whole Family can see just how krazeee you really iz ...
... hahahahahhaha ... whew! ... i had to say alla that first!
I suppose there is a way for some forensic kinda hacker investigator to figure out all the clues and recreate the crime scene down to the invisible fibers ... lol ... but i aint da one! We do have a Member here, our Dear Darling Brother Gladiator, that is more qualified than any person i know ... and he's on our side and is helping me understand what took place moe betta. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for him, this whole experience could have destroyed us ... as he is the one that taught me what i know about server administration and prepared me for a day such as we just experienced.
From what i understand, any server can be hacked. There is no 100% full proof way of protecting yourself from this. Consider the big corporate and governmental entities that have been hacked ... Microsoft, Social Security Administration, Wells Fargo, etc., ... and they have gigantic budgets with teams of highly paid and educated professionals focused on security alone, and it has happened to them. All we have is us, and what our
Premium Members give to help keep things going. This is our first time ever being hacked (since 1997), we recovered, and we are blessed.
As we grow, become more popular ... we're simply more of a target for all types of attacks, we've seen a few already and can probably brace ourselves for more. All we can really do is be prepared to recover from them. We must be vigilant, doing all we can to make it difficult for folk to violate us, but the key is being able to recover. Thank you Brother Gladiator for teaching me this over the many years you've shared with me.
It doesn't really make a lot of difference to me, at this point, who attacked us. My focus was/is on being able to recover (i've not finished restoring everything yet, but the major pieces are back in place), as the same steps are required regardless of who did us. Now that this has happened, i will have to become more proficient in server security, you know, once bitten twice shy ... and i'm so glad i have Brother Gladiator to take me to the next level, and the next level, and all other levels! Our Brother is AWESOME!
I believe if it were the FBI, they'd not even let us come back up, if taking us down is what they wanted. With Homeland Security being what it is, they can do what they want, without explanation. So if it is ever them, we'd probably not come back up again. We certainly have no money to fight them, and we all know, justice costs money.
Yes Sister Queenie, you are right, we must look beyond the surface. I've saved all of the old log files from the previous configuration and with Brother Gladiator's help, we will be able to gleen what we can from those ... but that will be after we get completely through this. Who knows, i may end up being some sort of forensic hacker investigator by the time he gets through with me!
Thank you all for your patience, love, and support. It is much appreciated.
Destee
