I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never going to keep me down

Posted byCynthiaYockey 24 Comments on I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never going to keep me down

A Conservative Lesbian, the blog, was down for the last five days due to a malware attack that my Web host says originated from the Ukraine. If you got a warning screen telling you of the infection and you clicked through anyway, please use your anti-virus software to scan your computer’s hard drive. An online service called Sucuri.net gave me the all-clear around 10 am this morning. I submitted a request to Google to review A Conservative Lesbian and 12 hours later they lifted the warning screen. Yay!

I appreciate all the kind messages my dear gentle readers and fellow bloggers sent — thank you! I missed you.

24 replies on “I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never going to keep me down”

    1. Graumagus and Deimonia,

      Sigh. I’m not getting the malware page any more. But I’ll see what’s up. Meanwhile, if you saw the malware warning and clicked through anyway, please run your anti-virus software to be sure you’re OK.

      Cynthia

  3. I didn’t get a Malware warning from google, my resident scanner on my machine started doing it’s “Danger Will Robinson, Danger!!” impersonation (Avast antivirus)

    1. Graumagus,

      So you’re saying you didn’t get a malware warning from Google, but you did get one from Avast Anti-virus?

      I appreciate your patience and loyalty. Thank you for letting me know you’re still getting a notice that there’s a problem.

      There was a second malware infection yesterday, but it was removed last night by 10:48 pm EDT before you submitted your comment. I checked last night around 2 am and this afternoon and the blog is free of malware. Could Avast have been checking a cached file? Try clearing your cache.

      Cynthia

  4. I got on safely just now.

    I don’t know what antivirus/malware protection you use and it’s none of my business, but the freeware version of AVG antivirus picked it up and blocked it. You can download it through majorgeeks,com

    1. richard mcenroe,

      Thank you for the tip. I do have antivirus software on my computer. I use Bad Behavior to block attacks on the blog — it was one of the first things I installed when I started up and I keep it up-to-date. The problems of the last week were the result of attacks on both my Web host AND WordPress, rather than a direct infection to my blog. My Web host said about five percent of its clients were affected. I expect they’re working on the improvements needed to repel future attacks. They asked me to do a few things that are obvious to do after you’ve been hacked, and I’ve done them.

      I appreciate your kindness and support.

      Cynthia

  7. FYI my SmithMicro won’t let me look at your home page but I found your site by referral to the Sharpton video. I can access most of your blog, just not the Home page(and, presumably, anything accessable only from there). I’m a non-Republican ex-Democrat who just assumed you’d been attacked by our former fellow travelers. Is it your sense that there was an ideological thrust to the mischief? Just because it originated in Ukraine doesn’t mean you don’t have real ememies here 😉 Keep up the good work!

    1. Deimonia and ohlukkyman,

      Thank you!

      I’ve run several scans of A Conservative Lesbian by Sucuri.net yesterday and today and each time it reported the blog is free of malware and not blacklisted. I requested Google reconsider the blog yesterday to lift the malware warning. Today I requested reconsideration specifically for the comments link and pages.

      My Web host says the attack affected about five percent of their clients, so I don’t think my fiscal conservatism or activism for gay and lesbian equality made me a target. Maybe the word “lesbian” in my URL and blog name did, though. I attribute most of my bounce rate to disappointment that this is not a porn site. (Heh.)

      I’m using this experience to learn a lot more about securing my blog and computer. I will resume writing when the Google malware warnings are lifted.

      I do give thanks with all my heart for my dear gentle readers who are sticking with me and being patient and supportive while I get through this experience. When it’s over, I will write about the spiritual tools I used to endure and prevail.

      Cynthia

    1. richard mcenroe,

      Sigh.

      Actually, some of the miscreants who escaped my terrible, swift pixels over the last 10 days can be trusted to re-offend, so for them all I have to do is wait.

      Stuff I wanted to post about:

      The crumb Obama tossed the gay community in the form of the executive order requiring hospitals that receive money for Medicaid or Medicare to honor medical powers-of-attorney held by same-sex couples.

      The Tennessee woman who shipped the seven-year-old Russian psychopathic proto-serial-killer-and-pyromaniac back to Moscow — guess whose side I’m on?

      The Maryland ACLU went to court to force my local Board of Education to stop filtering out ALL gay and lesbian Web sites and social conservatives are up in arms — I will apply to speak at their next meeting since this blog is one of the ones the social conservatives would block.

      The Arizona law FINALLY taking some action to discourage illegal immigration and Roger Simon’s post on paying workers who were probably illegal to do yard work because their quote was so low.

      Drummer Sandy Nelson and his wonderful pieces that I remember from the 1960’s, “The Birth of the Beat” and “Let There Be Drums.”

      This joke: “If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you.”

      And this one from the FAILblog about the Alzheimer’s organization that found the perfect theme for its fundraiser: “A Night to Remember.”

      There also was the very Zen moment this evening after I uninstalled McAfee Security Suite and installed Avast Pro (the paid version) on the recommendation of Seth Rosenblatt at CNET when Avast — which, by the way, means “Stop!” — blocked Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari AND Outlook from even opening at all. You can’t argue with the effectiveness of that approach to halting computer malware infections. Fortunately, I had a computer to resort to that did NOT have Avast on it so I was able to sally forth into the Interwebs and find out that while people have been having this problem with Avast for at least five years, there is NOT ONE THING about fixing it in the Knowledge Base of their support forum.

      So — this is going to take longer than I thought.

      Cynthia

      P.S.

      Two other stories I plan to write:

      I want to add a few thoughts to posts by Jimmy Bise (The Sundries Shack) and Camp of the Saints about Michael Steele’s statement to a group of black teens that he couldn’t think of any reasons why they should become Republicans. How is it the party of fiscal conservatism sells itself like it is castor oil and hair shirts when it supports the only system proven to allow the largest number of people the maximum liberty and prosperity — a democratic republic fueled by social mobility, meritocracy, capitalism, the rule of law and the Constitution? And the opposition is selling slavery and economic stagnation like they are liberty and prosperity?

      An old friend from high school, Merrie Street, is running for Register of Wills — I have nice things to say about her.

    1. Graumagus,

      I’m puzzled, too. I can’t find any detailed explanation of the various settings to tell me which ones are right for me. Avast is making the loading of browser pages intolerably slow and I can’t get my e-mail — and I can’t figure out how to alter the settings so my computer is usable without turning Avast (the paid version) off. The “help” file is useless. If you can share some tips, I would love it.

      If you’re wondering how I’m still getting on the Internet to find answers to my questions — thank God my father has a Macintosh.

      Cynthia

  10. Hey girlie…
    Glad you’re back! I did click though once or twice (since I have a Mac) but the format was so off I couldn’t take it. Hope all is well and all the loose ends get tied up soon.
    Luv ya,
    Amy

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  12. Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, Cynthia. Jeff Goldstein over at PW got his site hijacked by some Oriental (Chinese or Japanese) software company. What they did was rather ingenious: The site came up, but every link you clicked on it (including the Comment button) redirected you to their site…..

    Occasionally, the Islamists have a point: cutting off the hands of people who do this crap sounds like a dandy idea.

    Oh, and I second the Avast! recommendation. It was the only AV scanner that would handle XP Pro 64-bit, and it has worked for me since 2006.

    1. SDN,

      Well, it’s a comfort not to be the only one — thanks!

      About Avast! — the free version seems to be more trouble-free than the paid one. Also, the instructions only state the obvious and don’t tell you anything you need to know like the consequences of the various choices you are offered. And they’ve been having the problems I ran into for years. I am thoroughly annoyed with them. Are you using the free version, or the paid one?

      And, yes, I now favor expanding the death penalty to writing and distributing malware. It’s not just revenge — it’s the magnitude of the lost productivity and the resources that have to be devoted just to fending off attacks.

      Cynthia

  13. Glad you’re back! What I found curious was the fact that Google let me access your site without warning……then the warning popped up only when I tried to access the comments. WTF? Heard somebody above say they weren’t too concerned ’cause then have a Mac….me too… hope she’s right.

    Wondering if you cauight Hillbuzz’s post regarding each of their experiences growing up gay? I found it so moving… gave me a totally new perspective on life being gay.

      1. Cynthia,

        I haven’t seen the infamous “malware warning” since Saturday morning. Seems you’re 100% sparkly clean and infestation-free!

        So, regarding the Hillboyz, why not Kevin? Is Kevin the written voice of Hillbuzz? Anywho….can I assume a lot of gay’s simply equate that parental rejection with rejection of all things
        Conservative? Heartbreaking to think that parents could be so intentionally cruel….to a son or daughter so vulnerable. Yeah…..call me naive….sigh.

        1. Ad rem,

          Yes, it seems the storm has passed. Yay!

          I don’t know why Kevin didn’t tell his own story. I do have the impression he does most of the writing at HillBuzz, but I don’t know for sure.

          The non-stop parental rejection and criticism is done by people who feel shamed by having a gay or lesbian child and they try to criticize the gay out. The result too often is that the gay or lesbian child is not able to have a wholesome, long term relationship as an adult because they don’t know to reject people who are abusive or cruel, and they may even have developed the habit of shaming and criticizing others so that no kind and decent person ever would want them as a life partner or spouse.

          Cynthia

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