Saturday 23 May 2009

Unauthorized Access to my Blogger Account

I run two other websites with hosts that are unlike this one. I have to upload my own files directly to the main site folders for it to work, unlike Blogpsot where site templates are already available and all the site owner has to do is select the one they like, after which they use a dashboard to build the website. I have to design everything from scratch on my computer, and then later upload the files to the server.

My web pages are written in ASP (Active Server Pages), a technology I am comfortable with that uses server-side scripting to dynamically produce web pages that are not affected by the type of browser the web site visitor is using. Apart from merely uploading main site pages, I also write ASP scripts that allow me to monitor the website. For example, rather than leaving the mail posting function to the server alone, I have scripts in place that create log files that show whether forms have been used and also displays what was posted, as well as taking much more details about the visitor than many will be comfortable with, but then for the sake of confidentiality rather than abuse, which is impossible without site integrity. The host provides site statistic surveys, but rather than rely on these alone I have my own scripts that count hits to specific pages, as well as provide more information about visitors, and so on.

With the help of these little bits and pieces, I have long since discovered that the forms on these websites are unreliable because site security has been breached, not directly through the snares I have put in place that have caught no perpetrator in the act, but by allowing me to ascertain the fact even when the forms are working fine (internal posting is possible), meaning there are no errors in the scripts, something else is preventing the delivery of notification emails to me or site visitors. The scripts have also enabled me to discover that the blocking is in effect as long as I have not done the maintenance checks. Mail delivery resumes as soon as it becomes plain I have discovered emails are not being sent, only to come back on again afterwards, and so on.

The timing of this is always off by a few, enabling me to be certain of premeditation. This is obviously a difficult to win, ridiculous cat and mouse chase. Whoever is responsible for hampering the site’s communications knows I already know what they are doing, yet they persist, but I can understand they have no choice but to continue playing the stupid game. Choices are luxuries to such a mentality, after all.

Only until yesterday, I never thought of the possibility posts to the Blogspot could be prone to fall prey to the same folly. I have not posted to this blog for over two months, but have been getting a constant stream of comments to especially older posts. I receive notification of new comments posted to my blog through my email at Google!, and only have to log into Blogspot to moderate the comments, which is what happened yesterday, the only difference this time being that clicking on the link brought up an unusual error at Google mail. The linked page was displayed but without the main content. Where the main content should have been was an error message telling me "an error has occurred and the page cannot be displayed". Subsequent attempts to reach the page were futile, and when I tried to log into Blogspot my PC crashed and had to be rebooted twice. I finally got through to Blogspot and was quite surprised to find that there were no new comments to moderate. I was completely dismayed when I logged into Google mail again and discovered the notification email had disappeared, and was not in the deleted mail folder neither.

This series of events could not have been a coincidence.

Because I can program, I have a very good idea of how the emailing stuff works, no matter what language it is programmed in. The above events are not highly improbable, but impossible, the only explanation for what happened being that my Blog is being moderated by a third party who also has access to my email. The Google mail error message suggests they do not only have the capacity to log into my email, or what is called client side access, but also the capacity to control the backdoor of the system, the server side.

Doesn't come as a surprise. I can only guess at what else "they" are up to on my website. This is not to discourage the reading of articles on this blog or responding to them, but just keep in mind as you go along that though maintenance checks will be a constant reality from now on, the integrity of the articles could be in doubt. Follow the logic, use your mind, and please do not hesitate to inform me if you find something that doesn't look right. Also, if you do not get a response or do not see your post displayed after a few hours, try alternate means of communicating this to me that you will find on this site.

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