Tobacco Reviews Site Has Been Hacked
- Thread starter oldgeezersmoker
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They likely didn't update their https. Or whatever you refer to it as. Does not mean it was hacked. It did this last year briefly.
The message I got said their security certificate had expired. Whatever the case may be, I decided not to go there. Hope they get it sorted out.
Provided you don't login I'm not sure it matters. What's to steal?
That's it, security certificate. It's the difference between the URL starting with http vs https. There's no e-commerce there, I don't see an issue. The site admin just needs to update their certificate with whoever holds the domain.
I'm a sysadmin for a university, and maintain a number of secure web servers -- that's an expired ssl certificate. Sloppy to allow that to happen, but it basically means the site can no longer be verified as the site it says it is, and the connection to it is unencrypted. You wouldn't want to proceed to an e-commerce site with that warning, but if it's just a forum or something, I wouldn't worry about it if you visit the site as a non-member user. If your browser logs you in automatically, however, be aware that your traffic, including user and password, is being transferred in the clear (unencrypted), and thus could be captured by someone on your network.
...and right after I answered this, I scrolled up and see you already did!
Not hacked; their SSL certificate expired today (7/23/2020). Looks like the forgot to renew and update.
When I saw positive reviews of Haunted Bookshop, I knew they had been hacked.
Yep, just to mention it again to folks though, be aware it makes your network traffic unencrypted. Until they replace the cert, best not to use your login if you're a member (unless it's a throwaway password you don't use anywhere else).
Web sites are like small children, requiring continual care and attention, or things go wrong fast. So many sites, even corporate sites, are set up with fanfare and not maintained. I think it is because web tech talent is hired away, and the sites are left to non-techies who don't know the moves. It is amazing what gets left up on sites ... fired employees and outdated information, just as examples.
I informed them about the problem, and they said they'd look into it.
If you were to go to my website (www.diamantstudios.ca) with Chrome, it will probably won't let you in. Reason: the SSL certificate is expired. It's been so since AD 2017. I don't pay for SSLs: no point in it for a site that basically makes me no money and it's merely informative: I'm not selling anything there other than my services and for that people would need to contact me directly. The only personal info that is 'collected' is whatever is put in the Contact form if you chose to use it and it's nothing I could use to empty your bank account or steal your identity.
Could I use a 'free' SSL certificate? Sure, and I might do so in the near future. Point is, many 'free' certificates are just a means to bend website owners over. A very popular 'free' SSL cert issuer turned out to be a front for the Chinese to steal info.
Now, Firefox lets you add security exceptions to those sites and browse on: that's what I always do. Chrome won't let you do that, though: Chrome is Google, and Google makes money off search ranks and categorisations and other stuff: it's in THEIR interest to try to force every website owner to buy certificates because that fuels the Internet economy from which they profit immensely. It has nothing to do with your protection or security: they couldn't care less if you were hacked, botted, or had your data held for ransom. It's just control on their part with the excuse of 'protecting' you. Have we seen that elsewhere? Of course: many are now following that business model.
Could I use a 'free' SSL certificate? Sure, and I might do so in the near future. Point is, many 'free' certificates are just a means to bend website owners over. A very popular 'free' SSL cert issuer turned out to be a front for the Chinese to steal info.
Now, Firefox lets you add security exceptions to those sites and browse on: that's what I always do. Chrome won't let you do that, though: Chrome is Google, and Google makes money off search ranks and categorisations and other stuff: it's in THEIR interest to try to force every website owner to buy certificates because that fuels the Internet economy from which they profit immensely. It has nothing to do with your protection or security: they couldn't care less if you were hacked, botted, or had your data held for ransom. It's just control on their part with the excuse of 'protecting' you. Have we seen that elsewhere? Of course: many are now following that business model.
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If you don't want to have encrypted traffic and a. verifiable site, you would be better off not having SSL to begin with, seeing as you don't manage accounts or anything. Just leave it as a standard http site -- then you wouldn't have that problem to begin with.
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