Tag Archives: Hacking

Trying To Hack My Web Site

Posted on by
Reply

Attempts continue daily trying to hack my web site. On multiple occasions I have approached IP address holder via the WHOIS service to complain and received bland reassurances. An example of the recent IP address is below the table. Once a host has been established from where the hacking attempt is coming from, you then have to fill in the contact form or abuse form for the host company. A few days later you’ll get a bland reassurance back and the hacks continue sometimes from the same IP address. In the table below, I have listed some of these hacking attempts over the last month. I get 50-100 every 24 hours. I’ll probably get more now.

UPDATE

Nothing back from web sites about IP addresses and in last 48 hours 1-3 Aug 2023 I’ve logged over 500 attempts. Waste of bandwidth….

Purpose of Trying To Hack My Web Site

It’s unclear why these bots or their instigators are trying to hack my site. The site has reputational value to me, but has no e-commerce element except links to book sites. It does not hold membership lists of thousands – in fact no members with no private data, except cookie lists – see privacy policy. It may be fun but it’s just a pain and so far unsuccessful. I’m not saying what my user account name is for admin access. Nor am I giving out a password/phrase but it’s strong and then there is 2FA, Two-Factor Authentication. That means these brute force attempts get nowhere even if they did get my username and password.

It’s all a colossal waste of time and resources for all parties. Having worked in the cyber security field, I know how much effort this costs for a company and what sort of reward these criminals are after. The databases or monetary ransom from encryption, but again why my site?

Dear hackers give it a rest. Why not use your skills for the betterment of human life? Mind you with the endless efforts of Government agencies some of which have leaked into the open this is an ongoing battle. Hadn’t realised this comes 10 years after Snowden’s revelations.

Table of IP Addresses

DateIP AddressUser Account attempted
June 22, 2023 07:24152.32.189.117admin (3 lockouts)
June 22, 2023 06:12148.72.244.186phenweb (1 lockouts)
June 21, 2023 20:1445.120.69.121admin (1 lockouts)
June 21, 2023 01:232a03:b0c0:1:d0::e6c:f001phenweb (1 lockouts)
June 20, 2023 06:10148.72.214.194admin (2 lockouts)
June 19, 2023 15:3266.94.96.129admin (2 lockouts)
June 19, 2023 12:51103.179.56.32admin (2 lockouts)
June 19, 2023 06:1535.187.58.136admin (1 lockouts)
June 19, 2023 05:50134.122.123.193admin (1 lockouts)
June 18, 2023 03:502a03:b0c0:1:d0::ee2:c001wwwadmin (1 lockouts)
June 13, 2023 00:032607:f298:5:6000::cb9:8de4admin (1 lockouts)
June 09, 2023 13:222a03:b0c0:1:d0::ee2:c001admin (1 lockouts)
June 09, 2023 07:18167.99.86.104admin (1 lockouts)
June 09, 2023 03:462a00:d680:20:50::4379admin (3 lockouts)
June 07, 2023 00:405.188.62.21pghadmin (9 lockouts)
June 05, 2023 22:35150.109.148.216admin (1 lockouts)
June 05, 2023 12:13185.2.4.134wadminw (1 lockouts)
June 04, 2023 09:1346.105.29.21admin (1 lockouts)
June 03, 2023 11:352001:41d0:403:1680::admin (1 lockouts)
June 03, 2023 05:132a00:d680:20:50::f4dcadmin (2 lockouts)
June 02, 2023 00:58195.154.184.235admin (1 lockouts)
June 01, 2023 15:25157.230.249.54admin (1 lockouts)
May 25, 2023 20:5147.111.116.44admin (1 lockouts)
May 25, 2023 12:442607:f298:5:6000::d15:5580admin (1 lockouts)
May 25, 2023 11:17116.109.45.9wwwadmin (1 lockouts)
May 25, 2023 05:142400:6180:0:d0::f6f:3001admin (3 lockouts)
May 24, 2023 19:1523.99.229.218admin (1 lockouts)
May 24, 2023 18:3224.199.86.99admin (1 lockouts)
May 23, 2023 01:5151.79.144.41admin (2 lockouts)
May 22, 2023 12:222001:41d0:403:1680::wadminw (1 lockouts)

WHOIS Trying to Hack My Web Site

Whois IP 152.32.189.117

The IP is registered to Hong Kong and UCloud. They have an abuse email hegui@ucloud.cn. I won’t hold out any hope of a response but I’ve tried.

% [whois.apnic.net]
% Whois data copyright terms    http://www.apnic.net/db/dbcopyright.html
% Information related to '152.32.128.0 - 152.32.255.255'
% Abuse contact for '152.32.128.0 - 152.32.255.255' is '@ucloud.cn'
inetnum:        152.32.128.0 - 152.32.255.255
netname:        UCLOUD-HK
descr:          UCLOUD INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (HK) LIMITED
country:        HK
org:            ORG-UITL1-AP
admin-c:        UITH2-AP
tech-c:         UITH2-AP
abuse-c:        AU164-AP
status:         ALLOCATED PORTABLE
remarks:        --------------------------------------------------------
remarks:        To report network abuse, please contact mnt-irt
remarks:        For troubleshooting, please contact tech-c and admin-c
remarks:        Report invalid contact via www.apnic.net/invalidcontact
remarks:        --------------------------------------------------------
mnt-by:         APNIC-HM
mnt-lower:      MAINT-UCLOUD-HK
mnt-routes:     MAINT-UCLOUD-HK
mnt-irt:        IRT-UCLOUD-HK
last-modified:  2022-05-16T03:40:43Z
source:         APNIC
irt:            IRT-UCLOUD-HK
address:        FLAT/RM 603 6/F, LAWS COMMERCIAL PLAZA, 788 CHEUNG SHA WAN ROAD, KL,, Hong Kong
e-mail:         @ucloud.cn
abuse-mailbox:  @ucloud.cn
admin-c:        UITH2-AP
tech-c:         UITH2-AP
auth:           # Filtered
remarks:        @ucloud.cn was validated on 2022-12-29
remarks:        @ucloud.cn was validated on 2022-12-30
mnt-by:         MAINT-UCLOUD-HK
last-modified:  2022-12-30T07:26:18Z
source:         APNIC
organisation:   ORG-UITL1-AP
org-name:       UCLOUD INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (HK) LIMITED
country:        HK
address:        FLAT/RM 603 6/F
address:        LAWS COMMERCIAL PLAZA
address:        788 CHEUNG SHA WAN ROAD, KL,
phone:          +86-18221224857
e-mail:         @ucloud.cn
mnt-ref:        APNIC-HM
mnt-by:         APNIC-HM
last-modified:  2019-12-10T12:58:29Z
source:         APNIC
role:           ABUSE UCLOUDHK
address:        FLAT/RM 603 6/F, LAWS COMMERCIAL PLAZA, 788 CHEUNG SHA WAN ROAD, KL,, Hong Kong
country:        ZZ
phone:          +000000000
e-mail:         @ucloud.cn
admin-c:        UITH2-AP
tech-c:         UITH2-AP
nic-hdl:        AU164-AP
remarks:        Generated from irt object IRT-UCLOUD-HK
remarks:        @ucloud.cn was validated on 2022-12-29
remarks:        @ucloud.cn was validated on 2022-12-30
abuse-mailbox:  @ucloud.cn
mnt-by:         APNIC-ABUSE

The Blog I Should Be Writing

Posted on by
Reply

The blog I should be writing was written in 2014

I should be writing a blog. A blog that allows me to link to my books in some way or adds to the greater good (IMHO) with a commentary on passing affairs.

Yesterday, I had an idea about writing one describing the reasons why I have given up playing golf – perhaps another day.

I could add more on a whole variety of subjects that I would like to write about, Scottish Independence, the NSA, more on the hacking trial, even the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight. Lots of things to talk about. Instead what have I done? Editing of my sequel to An Agent’s Demise (managed to get a link in somewhere). I have lost track of how many times I have read and re-read sections, trying to hone the plot, justify character’s actions and get rid of the allowed for aloud stupid mistakes. I of course have written about this before, here, but, now I have an editor. I hope I have also learned some rules even though some go against what I was taught years ago.

For example starting sentences with conjunctions like and and but is apparently allowed (not aloud). I was always taught to use two spaces after a full stop (not a period – sorry USA it’s called English for a reason) but apparently that means I am a dinosaur left over from the typewriter age. Professional publishing with its typefaces never used two spaces anyway, allegedly. Now we have serif and sans serif fonts to worry about. With an ebook the publisher has no control over what font the reader uses on whatever screen resolution, in whatever colour (It has a u in it WordPress, Goodreads, et al) or not is used. The quick brown fox Microsoft Word test is always fun in different fonts.

I’m rambling again, I still have another five chapters to edit in An Agent’s Rise before a Beta Reader test then an edit or three. I’m also waiting the return of To The Survivors from a professional edit of the MS. Then I have The Persuasive Man to send off and The World of Fives. I think it’s ready, having incorporated some Beta reader feedback. Maybe one more read through, then I’ll have to start Part Two of the series. I was again asked if I would write a sequel to To The Survivors. I am still not sure, I have to have an idea for the sequel, where does it go? The story I mean, I’m in need of inspiration.

Then maybe in a month or so I may be ready to publish my fourth and fifth books, different genres once more. Cover design, formatting, uploading (Smashwords I’m looking at you) then marketing. I was not going to do any links but here I am. A page of non-blog rambles with links to all my current and next two books neatly embedded. Anyone would think I had done that deliberately. Now where’s those badly used discarded golf clubs, I hear there are good prices for scrap metal!

Brooks et al Trial Coverage

Posted on by
Reply

Rebekah Brooks‘ et al trial coverage in 2014 later blogged here

Brooks Coulson

I’ve been following the Hacking phone trial with considerable interest. It would not be prudent to comment on testimony or my opinion on the evidence submitted so far. After all I may have undue influence on a juror. I don’t but for the avoidance of doubt I have no direct connection with any participant. For any direct comment I strongly recommend the coverage provided by The Drum, which has excellent and thorough trial coverage.

Where though is the coverage in more mainstream media. The trial which produces revelations almost daily has rare coverage on the BBC, ITV or C4. Sky I would expect to be circumspect given the Murdoch connection but they are supposed to cover news and given the 24hr nature of BBC News 24 and Sky News surely they could provide some analysis and reporting rather than another fifteen reporters in Sevastopol plus the John Simpson and Panorama crews, all repeating the same thing.

Anyway back to Hacking. The trial has raised some serious issues (as did The Leveson Inquiry) regarding freedom of speech and the conflict in my own head between the type of coverage required to uncover corruption in public officials (Expenses scandal etc.) and the right to a private life. Why does anyone care who Hugh Grant has sex with or whether he was paying for it.

As only Rebekah Brooks of the defendants has appeared on the witness stand it is of course to early to judge any evidence, but what has become clear at Leveson and this trial is the culture, attitude and approach of a national newspaper and its reporters. The absence or non-enforcement of management controls has also been highlighted. None of the defendants are on trial for being bad managers, but the lack of financial controls at the papers should send most Financial Directors spinning to an early grave. What the jury believes is of course a matter for them and the evidence presented to them. Which stories are and are not printed in newspapers broadcast or otherwise reported is a matter for all of us. Outside of true police states, what we see and hear is decided by a small elite deciding what stories get column inches or broadcast time. The Internet has multiplied the availability and direct access of reporting to unbelievable levels yet so much remains drivel. So much is repetitive and shows no insight. With all the news in the world why is 24hr TV on an almost totally hour by hour repeat. You can click on Sky News anytime of day and see the same clips repeated over and over again regardless of what else has happened. With the advert repeats it is a continuous dose of Deja Vu and none of it is about the Hacking Trial and the behaviour of one or more News International Executives.

Of course I am unusual in that I am concerned about freedom of speech whether it is censorship, snooping, police misbehaviour or the actions of newspaper reporters. What do all these stories have in common? They all reflect the closeness of a political and media elite all feeding like cannibalistic vampires off of each others actions, whilst trampling over the rights, opinions and feelings of their victims, Whether it is the family of Milly Dowler, Stephen Lawrence or one of the victims of misreporting, misbehaviour or misdeeds. Our press and mainstream media, failed to report accurately, failed to check their facts and allowed statements by police and others to be misused or believed regardless of the evidence. The press paid for many of these stories bribing public officials in the process. A picture of a royal at a party more important than the corruption that paying for the story exposed. The same press baying for MP’s blood over expenses whilst casually shipping thousands to their contacts for a snippet of gossip or paying a self confessed phone hacker thousands to keep quiet or a publicist to settle out of court.

Now some of these executives are dependent on the very legal system they have done so much to undermine and ignore. I wonder who the jury will believe.