Yesterday our site had been hacked. The hackers used an old theme on one of subdomains to get in and screw with the server. The Esosoft assures us that the server is completely clean now.
If our site prompts you to download a file through a pop-up, DO NOT download it. Please hard refresh:
- If you are using IE, Google Chrome, or Firefox: hold down Control or Apple key and press F5.
- If you are using Safari: hold down Shift and click Reload in your tool bar
If the pop up still reappears, it may be necessary to clear your browser cache. If you’ve done all that and the pop up still persists, please comment on this thread, so I can go back to Esosoft and tell them the problem persists.
If you have downloaded the file, please run virus scanner and remove it from your system.
We apologize for any inconvenience. This sucks so much, I can’t even express it.
It wasn’t the best way to start my morning, realizing that I had done exactly what the hackers wanted..my hubs was a bit put out at having to sort my computer out before leaving for work but it seems like everything is ok now. Keeping fingers crossed nothing bad is hiding somewhere and we didn’t find it!
Anyway, it’s not your fault. The blame rests only on the hackers. Now I’m off to read part 2 of the Gunmetal Magic snippet which was what I was trying to do yesterday
Thanks for the snippets by the way, can’t wait for this book!
I’m so sorry that you guys were attacked like this. Sometimes people really suck, especially hackers!
On a good note, there doesn’t seem to be any pop-up or anything right now (almost 9am EST). At least on my end. So hopefully it’s all cleared up?
It really would be nice if these idiots found better things to do with their time.
It’s not your fault, at all don’t worry
Grrr, people piss me off. Evil hackers and their plots. Glad it is all fixed now!
(i maybe also posted so i could see what my new commentluv badge looks like….maybe)
Oh dear, that is one angry hexagon O.O
Not the greatest thing that happened, I just hope you and any victims aren’t too stressed out over it all and I have confidence everyone will get their systems cleaned up! So breathe, Ilona, breathe… =)
So sorry you were hacked. When I got online yesterday morning and the site was not working I was afraid things had gone awry. Glad you got it straightened out.
Pooey, pooey — I spit on evil hackers!
I visited the site several times yesterday but never encountered the pop-up – I’m assuming that Adblock plus did it’s job. *<3 <3 Firefox + Adblock.*
May all hackers be sent to that special level of hell – {{Hugs to you guys}}
So sorry to hear about the hackers.
I tried to look in a couple of times yesterday but only got the banner–no access to any of the tabs. No nasties visible, but I’m another of the Firefox-adblock-NoScript brigade, so all the add-ons apparently did the business.
Don’t let them get you down!
Tizz
I had the same result yesterday as well, but I am on a tablet…hackers SUCK!
Yeah I never saw the popup yesterday, your site just appeared to be gone except for the header. I figured something tragic had happened. So sorry you got hacked. All appears to be good today.
Miss Bliss recently posted..Religious Freedom also means Secular Freedom
*snuggles her pop-up blocker* Who’s Mommy’s favorite little addon? YOU ARE!
Not your fault. Unless you hired the hacker to hack your own site in an attempt to generate sympathy… HA! I am on to your evil plot! Me and my paranoia will foil you!
Seriously, it blows, but it is not your fault. We still loves you. We still we buy your books and demand MOAR!
I was amazed at how quickly your site is back up and clean. I didn’t do the download, since I am a suspicious person, and I send my heartfelt sympathy to anyone who did get it in their computosphere.
Go pop up blocker!!
It’s really not your fault though. This happens all the time, and I think everybody’s lucky it was such an obvious hack, not the kind that you don’t notice until it’s too late.
My pop up blocker caught it last night too. i thought there was something weird with your website last night. I’m glad it’s all been fixed for you!
No wonder I couldn’t get into the site yesterday. I just shrugged it off as technical difficulties. So sorry about your site. Stupid hackers!!
I was hoping for a Monday snippet.
When I accessed your site yesterday, I only saw the banner, no pop-ups. Pop-up blocker + Chrome = Win!!
Seriously, though, not your fault. It’s those *bleepbleepinbleep* hackers
Well, I must say I got lucky! We changed internet providers yesterday and I was fighting with my Airport until midmorning today to get back online. Hooray for silver linings!
Also, boo to hackers. Sorry y’all had to deal with that.
All I could see yesterday on the page and blog was the banner (yeah pop-up blocker) though I could actually read the forums.
Hopefully all is fixed now.
So sad.
Here’s hoping that it comes back to those who did it, karma style!
OHH! That sucks! When I came on yesterday I got the top of the pages like someone cut off about 1/2 an inch down, so it looked like you had 3 strips of paper. I thought it was my computer so I was cleaning it. A little Java flag popped up saying this sight uses java and my computer needed something or other? So I went to The Java sight and updated my computer, no biggy. I came back and your sight was the same…ok, it was not me… so I final figured that your sight was not working (took me a little time to piece this together).
So I am really glad no lasting harm happened to you guys! Glad to see you up and running again!
This is what happened to me, too. I ran a scan earlier just in case, but it came up clean. Glad you guys are back up and running again!
To make up for this outrage it would be great to see some more Curran and Kate tweets… Ok this is just a complete excuse to try to get some more tweet the 2 you have are hilarious!!!
I had the three strips of paper too – but nothing popped up. I am using Opera Browser and I think it has saved me a lot of trouble over the years.
The hackers and script kiddies can go to hell! What a bunch of losers – waisting other peoples time with peep peeep peepeppeeep (insert random german swearwords) like that.
Thanks for the warning – the only other time I got a Trojan from a webside they did nothing for weeks! to solve the problem. The site just kept infecting computers.
Sorry you got messed with,it is very good of you to provide the solution. You guys always show a lot of dignity and class.
Don’t you guys dare feel responsible for the actions of a hacker! You give us amazing characters and stories to read, you maintain a blog for us, you send us snippets and facebook posts and all sorts of wonderful things – we love you!
So sorry that YOU have to go through such a huge, stressful inconvenience.
You are not alone! Lilith Saintcrow’s site got hacked as well. Hackers suck! The good news is that 25 suspected members of Anonymous, the self-styled “hacktivist” group, were arrested today. They aren’t hacktivists, they’re criminals and the people they are hurting are the very people they say that they are helping.
when this happened to my father, I pointe dout its a compliment of sorts. some one thinks you get enough traffic to be worth hacking
Well, I fell for it but I think I’m OK. I was on chrome + adblock but the pop up came thru, it looked real so I clicked. Not sure if anything got thru my anti-virus programs but I googled and found a gaming site with instructions on what to do for the fake Flash and Java update. I *think* I’m clean.
So will I have a new avi creature?
I do. I like that one better than the last one
YAY for eyerolly triangle
So sorry for you guys. Best of luck.
yea, idiot that I was, I clicked on it. It made a mess. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful friend who fixed it for me. All is well and I learned a valuable lesson . It’s ok. Well, I WOULD like to horsewhip the people who did it, but it wasn’t your fault.
NOT. your. fault(s). Hope the website feels better soon!
I am lucky that, like others, I thought that you were having technical difficulties. (You were, but I was thinking chance, not evil.) One of my other favorite authors has had to re-do her site because of hackers, so I’m glad that you are relatively unscathed. And I reiterate that I think that a just punishment for all hackers is to be brought on a world tour where everyone affected gets to have ONE FREE PUNCH. Just ONE, because otherwise that would be cruel.
Hackers suck! So not your fault, I’m sorry they hit.
Sorry you have to put up with that crap. A little virus is worth the fun I have reading your blog. Put it behind you, it’s already history for the rest of us…
Strangely, that looks exactly like me… (giggling ensues)
I clicked it and my husband did a little virus scan when he came home from work. It turns out we had over 500 viruses!!!! So really it was a good thing (for me) and now my computer is running a little bit more efficiently
I hope things are going well with you guys.
Hackers totally suck. I was one of those unfortunates from last year who’s info was hacked from the Writerspace website. I’m glad to know what happened. My browser wouldn’t open your webpage except for the header line and nothing else. At least now I know that it wasn’t my computer crashing on me. Good luck and thanks for everything that you do for us.
I have been traveling and have not been able to check in on the blog until this weekend. So sorry you were hacked. Some people have no respect. I also was one of the people who’s information was hacked last year from the Writerspace website, it definiting it frustrating. But it is great that everything is working ok now. Love the new snippets from Hex Appeal and Edge 4. Thanks so much. Hope life is getting better.