Spiral Hosting

Spiral Hosting are advising webhosting clients and our resellers to ensure that their website software is up-to-date and secure. We have noticed a recent increase in malware bots scanning websites on our servers looking for vulnerabilities in website software.

Websites that use out-of-date software could have major security flaws and may be vulnerable to hacking exploits, viruses, mal-ware and data theft. One piece of out-of-date software could give a hacker access to your entire website, databases and email accounts; the hacker could change your account passwords or delete your data so it’s very important to always use the latest software releases. Don’t have a “it won’t happen to me” mentality!

There may also be compatibility issues between our web servers and out-of-date software which will result in a lot of PHP error messages appearing suddenly on your website. Preventing these problems is easy; simply ensure your website software is up-to-date and if you don’t know how to do this you should ask us for help!

Here are the latest versions of some popular software:

• WordPress 3.0.1
• Joomla 1.5.20
• phpBB 3.0.7-PL1
• Simple Machines Forum (SMF) 1.1.11
• Zen Cart 1.3.9e
• osCommerce 2.2 RC-2a
• Moodle 1.9.9
• Gallery 2 2.3.1
• Magento 1.4.1.1
• PHP-Nuke 8.0(p3.4)

Don’t use any software on your website except the latest version!

Software that has been installed through Installatron (one-click installer) can be upgraded really easily through your cPanel control panel. Clients with Reseller Hosting accounts can also over-see all software installations through the Installatron Script Installer option in their Web Host Manager.

If you have any questions about upgrading your software please ask us for help.

Spiral Hosting has today warned customers of a domain name renewal scam.

ISPrenewal.com (also known as domainrenewalonline.org, onlinereminder.biz and reminder-renewal.com) has been sending domain renewal reminder emails to our customers, requesting that they visit their website and pay $79.95 for their domain name renewal.

The emails are sent from fake email addresses through a mailserver belonging to an ISP in Latvia. We wish to advise all customers that this is a scam. Customers are advised to disregard all communication from “ISP renewal” and any other domain names that the scammers may be using.

An example of an email from ISP Renewal:

Spiral Hosting has today warned customers of a domain name renewal scam.

ISPrenewal.com (also known as domainrenewalonline.org and onlinereminder.biz) has been sending domain renewal reminder emails to our customers, requesting that they visit their website and pay $79.95 for their domain name renewal. We wish to advise all customers that this is a scam. Customers are advised to disregard all communication from ISPrenewal.com and any other domain names that the scammers may be using.

WordPress 2.8.5 was released this morning. It includes new code to harden your WordPress installation and prevent exploits and denial-of-service vulnerabilities. We are asking all shared hosting customers and resellers to ensure all the software on their accounts is up to date.

You can find out more information on the update on the official WordPress blog.

If you installed WordPress through Installatron Script Installer in your control panel, the update isn’t available there just yet, but it should be within a few days. login to cPanel, then select Installatron, find your installation in the list and click ‘upgrade to 2.8.5′.

If you installed WordPress normally (and not through Installatron) please follow these instructions to update:

1) Login to your WordPress admin area.
2) You’ll see a notice at the top saying that an update is available. Click on it.
3) On the next screen, click Upgrade Automatically.
4) Type in the Connection Information if it’s required.
5) Wait a moment for the moment to run, then that’s it done!

If you have any questions about upgrading your software, please do get in touch.

Spiral Hosting have today warned customers of the increasing number of fake ‘phishing’ emails pretending to be from local Irish banks.

Company director Peter Armstrong warned: “Internet users are coming across an ever increasing number of phishing attacks – emails that lure unsuspecting users to fake websites where they reveal bank account information or other  personal details.

Fake 'Bank of Ireland' Email

“We are asking our customers to be aware that these fake emails are being sent in large numbers, and they aren’t always obvious. We are currently seeing a considerable number of phishing emails claiming to be from Bank of Ireland (365 Online) and Allied Irish Banks. These emails request that users validate their email address and other details by visiting a fake website which looks very similar to the bank’s own website.

“Our advice is to be extra cautious, don’t open suspicious emails or attachments, keep your anti-virus up-to-date and definitely never enter your bank account details into a website unless you are expecting the email and you are sure the website is authentic.”

More information:

• BBC News > Scam hits more email accounts
• Bank of Ireland > Protecting yourself against Phishing

Spiral Hosting has today warned customers of a domain name scam.

DomainNotice.com has been sending ‘final notice’ emails to some of our customers, requesting that they send faxes to an American number for ‘search engine submission’ services. We wish to advise all customers that this is a scam. Customers are advised to disregard all communication from DomainNotice.com.

Update: We have reported the fraudsters details to their provider, who tell us they have now suspended their account.

There are major security bugs in some older versions of Joomla and WordPress. We are asking all shared hosting customers and resellers to ensure all the software on their accounts is up to date.

If you are running Joomla, it should be version 1.5.6 to avoid any security risk.

If you are running WordPress, it should be at least version 2.6.0 (2.6.1 is the latest but 2.6.0 is secure).

Software installed through Installatron can be upgraded really easy with only a few clicks in your cPanel. Hosting Resellers can also over-see all software installs through the Installatron Script Installer in their Web Host Manager.

If you have any questions about upgrading your software, please do get in touch.

The latest version of Firefox 3 has been released.

Developed by Mozilla, Firefox is an open source web browser that comes highly recommended. Mozilla claim it is 2-3 times faster, and includes major updates including faster page rendering, enhanced security features, and a smart location bar which helps you to find webpages when you can’t remember the address. The browser takes a little getting used to, but it is packed with new features.

Firefox are trying to break a Guinness world record with the most downloads in a 24 hour period, so their main site has crashed a few times today under the load.

If you currently use Firefox 2 or Internet Explorer, we recommend you upgrade!

New research has found that Irish Internet users are attacked online nearly 300 times each day.

Via RTÉ News:
“Research into online security, released by the Department of Communications today to launch its Market Secure campaign, found that Irish Internet users are faced with 298 phishing attacks every day and such incidents are expected to hit an all time high this year.

Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, said that the statistics should not deter people from surfing the Internet, but he warned people to take precautions to protect themselves online.”

• Are some companies committing daylight robbery?
• What if your business was paying over €440 too much?
• You could save 95% by changing supplier.

Spiral Hosting run regular checks to ensure we can’t be beaten on price. Today Spiral Hosting look at the shocking prices charged for SSL certificates by Irish companies.

An SSL Certificate is an easily implemented protocol guaranteeing transaction security between your Website and your Customer’s browser. The certificate provides authentication to your customer that your website is secure, and prevents eavesdropping, tampering, or message forgery.

The most basic SSL certificate has 128 bit encryption. These are ideal for personal or business web site forms that need encrypted. However if your site will be handling confidential data such as credit card transactions then 256 bit encryption is advisable.

UTV Internet charge an exorbitant €444.98 for this basic service for the first year (€124.99 plus €319.99 setup). Their website does not clearly show if they can provide other options or higher levels of encryption.

Our equivalent SSL certificate is only €20 – which is €424.98 less than UTV Internet’s 128bit certificate. That’s a 95% saving!

The next company we compared was SecureCerts.ie which is owned by Host.ie/Novara.ie. Spiral Hosting and SecureCerts.ie provide the same brand of SSL certificates so it’s particularly easy to compare. You’ll find details on Quick SSL and Quick SSL Premium on our SSL site.
Quick SSL – SecureCerts.ie €119.99; our price €50.
Quick SSL Premium – SecureCerts.ie €169.99; our price €95.

The difference? Spiral Hosting provide competitive pricing, value for money and round-the-clock customer services.

Finally, Spiral Hosting compared the prices of BT Esat – who do not reveal their prices until you call them on the phone. Could it be that they are the most expensive?