Hackers stole this blogger's web site - and she pulled a $30,000 sting to get it

[Ronald]

For several days not so long ago, RamshackleGlam.com — the domain name that I have owned and operated since March of 2010 — did not belong to me, but rather to a man who goes by the name "bahbouh" on an auction website called Flippa, and who was attempting to sell off the site to the highest bidder (with a "Buy It Now" price of $30,000.00). He promised the winner my traffic, my files, and my data, and suggested that I was available "for hire" to continue writing posts (alternatively, he was willing to provide the winner with "high-quality articles" and "SEO advice" to maintain the site's traffic post-sale).

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/technology/hackers-stole-this-bloggers-web-site-and-she-pulled-a-dollar30000-sting-to-get-it-back/ar-BByCwea?li=AAggFp5

I read and re read this article. It sure as hell makes you sit up straight and think about, could this happen to me?

This is one smart gal, to do what she had to do to get  her site back..

Do yourselves a favour and read the entire article, also read the last part of the article. and think hard are you as safe as you think..

[Skhilled]

She ignored the signs and warnings. But the things she says you should do to prevent it are things everyone should already know...

[Ronald]

She ignored the signs and warnings. But the things she says you should do to prevent it are things everyone should already know...

She probably thought she was safe like many others feel..

But do others know?  They claim to know but do they..

[Skhilled]

I don't know about anyone else but I see the same things she posted all of the time for quite a few years now.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE THE CHANCES THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU:

1. Have a really, really good password, and change it often. Your password should not contain "real" words (and definitely not more than one real word in immediate proximity, like "whitecat" or "angrybird"), and should contain capital letters, numbers and symbols. The best passwords of all look like total nonsense.
2. If possible, use a separate computer (an old one or a cheap one purchased for this purpose) for things like banking; if your family computer is the same one that you use for bank transactions you risk having your kids click on a bad link that results in a hacking.
3. Turn off your computer and personal devices when they're not in use.
4. Have antivirus software on your computer (but remember that virus scans only catch 30–40% of viruses, so unfortunately a "clean" check doesn't necessarily mean that you're safe).
5. Purchase CyberRisk Insurance (it basically protects businesses from cyber attacks and data breaches).

BUT IF IT DOES HAPPEN TO YOU, HERE'S WHAT TO DO:

1. Begin taking careful notes (and screenshots) immediately. Don't delete any emails or other information; it could all be important later on.
2. Immediately change all of your passwords (including — but not limited to — domain registrar, website hosting, website login information, email, bank accounts, wireless home electronics, and Apple ID) according to the rules stated below. I changed mine every few hours while this situation was still up in the air, and am continuing to change them every few days for the time being.
3. Contact the registrar(s), citing the ICANN policy below, and see if together you can arrive at a speedy resolution. Don't be surprised if you find yourself running into dead ends.
4. Make sure to inquire about "filters" and "rules" that may have been placed on your email (basically, any kind of device that the hackers may have placed to forward emails, et cetera).
5. Contact appropriate law enforcement (I contacted the FBI because it appeared to be an international issue, and was at the very least an interstate issue because Escrow.com is located in California, and I'm in New York).

To add to this, if a website tells you they have been hacked and you are a member there you should change your passwords.