There are many kinds of violation and, in every case, the person violated rightly feels all sorts of emotions, including anger, fear, frustration, shame and powerlessness. Such was the case when I discovered that this very website had been broken into by some unknown persons who uploaded more than 60 posts.
Luckily, they were benign articles but, nonetheless, they were posted by impostors who hacked into my administrative panel and gained access. It’s kind of like your house being broken into – maybe the perpetrators didn’t take anything of value, but the fact they were able to enter uninvited shines a blaring light on your vulnerability.
After realizing I could not access my admin panel because my user name and password had been changed, I tried to contact WordPress for help, which was useless since all I could find were forums, and nothing that answered my question: “What do you do when your blog is hijacked?” Then I sent an email request for help to my host server, knowing they are closed Sundays, but could probably help in some way. Finally I googled “my wordpress blog was stolen, what can I do?” The first piece of advice from the WordPress Codex: “Stay calm.”
Indeed, good advice. By thinking it through, I was able to request a reset of my password, sign back in and delete the bogus “administrators” who decided they needed to post on my site.
If they had just asked, I likely would have welcomed their contributions. That’s the thing about thieves… there’s a thrill in “getting away with” something, and it usually has nothing to do with need. It’s sociopathic behavior and, as such, disrespects the rights of others.
The Importance of Neighborhood Watch
I might not have realized this invasion, or hacking had taken place were it not for the watchful eye of friend and fellow blogger, Maia Duerr of the excellent Liberated Life Project. Maia thoughtfully sent me an email questioning the posts as not being mine.
We need to watch out for our neighbors and friends, in cyberspace as well as in “real life”. If you receive an email from someone you know that has a suspicious link, don’t open it and do contact them. If you notice odd entries on a blog to which you subscribe, let the author or webmaster know. In any case, monitor your online activities, change your passwords often and, if you discover your security has been violated, stay calm.
We live in a world where social contracts are being broken, “authorities” are not trustworthy, and criminals of all kinds proceed boldly without chance of prosecution. Therefore, as decent, conscious people, we can express our care and compassion by watching out for one another.
Hi Aysha,
I’m so glad that this wasn’t more serious, and I really appreciate that you shared with all of us what exactly to do if a blog gets highjacked. Thank you for turning your negative experience into a learning opportunity for all of us.
And yes, you point out something very important — we all need to watch out for our neighbors, whether they are in cyberspace or right next door. That’s the key to civil society.
with lots of love and respect,
Maia
Hi Maia, Thanks again for your diligence. I just received evidence from dear friend Anne of a whole bunch of those disparate hacked posts (foreign money trading, diets, Austin rentals, etc.) that are now associated across the search engines with InhabitYourDreams.com. If I can keep those invaders out of my site, it may drive good traffic. I am grateful for my “neighborhood watch” (you and Anne) and that these hackers did not post vile content.
i am so sorry some sicko hacked your site. but the fact that you USE this to inform others is the kind of thing that makes me want to follow you and all that you write. thank you!
Hi Aysha,
This scared me from the title for a sec. Thought maybe you had literally been hijacked! Anyway, good to know that isnt the case. Nontheless it is a little freaky how/why someone would hack into a blog site like yours. Unbelievable and I really just dont get it.
Anyway, glad you were able to get in to your panel, change the pass and then delete the unwanted content.
Looking forward to your next.
Hope all is well
R
The same thing happened to me with my FaceBook page and I went through all the emotions you describe. Not that I use Facebook all that much,but it it did feel like a violation and it was infuriating.
As in your case, I was alerted to the hacking by a good friend, who also told me to change my FaceBook password ASAP. Alas, once I’d done so, I couldn’t get back on to Facebook. It was a major hassle. But my husband, who is great with technlogy, did some research and helped me get back on.
We have to stay vigiliant to our little pieces of turf in cyberspace or the bad guys will take advantage of us!