Fine Art Discussions

Sean McDunn

I can see in my Google dashboard that another malware warning may be coming soon. We're scrambling on our end to get a hold of someone at Google to stop this from happening. It's another false alarm.

You can see other webmasters complaining about this issue here:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!categories/webmasters/malware--hacked-sites

I'll keep everyone updated, and hopefully, we'll avoid getting flagged this time. This is becoming a real nightmare to deal with.

Sean

Wingsdomain Art and Photography

thanks, Sean.

-W

Cristophers Dream Artistry

bummer.....no fun!!


Good Luck with that Sean!.....keep up the good work

Billy Griffis Jr

Thanks, I hope we don't get hit again...

Your link doesn't work, everything after the # sign shows here as text. I had to use the existing part, then copy & paste the rest in behind it to get to the page.

This is a never ending battle. I've been a member and moderator on another forum for a long time, although I mostly lurk these days, and they're having loads of trouble too but mostly with spammers. A couple of days ago we had 35 posts from one new user, all spam. As far as I now though no malware warnings but I've seen plenty of those on other sites too.

Mike Savad

is there a way to prevent them? like cutting out certain abilities we have like either connecting to outside sites, or to known malware sites?


---Mike Savad

Adam Romanowicz

I can only imagine they picked up some cached content somewhere... Good times, especially around the holidays.

John Rizzuto

If we do get the google malware warning, would it be possible to put a message on the home page or whatever the first page a potential customer will see, that explains what the issue so they do not think the site is infected so they will either continue to shop or come back when then warning is gone. As it is now, they just think they site is infected or some spam site and do not come back.

Karin Kuhlmann

Thanks for the alarm Sean, Google can be a pain. Yesterday I could not login to my Webmaster-Account because the robot couldn't find the site-verification...although it was clearly always there! I keep my fingers crossed that all turns out good!

Sean McDunn

Once Google flags us as "dangerous", there is nothing that we can do except wait for them to review the site again and determine that we are indeed "safe".

Visitors never actually make it to FAA. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. all pop up a giant warning and stop the visitor from ever arriving at FAA.

Since they never make it to FAA, there is no way for me to pop up a message to calm their fears. We're totally at the mercy of Google on this one. There is no way to contact a human being over there, and even though I've posted a request for help in their discussion forum on this subject matter...

There's very little hope that anyone is going to respond. We're at the mercy of their automated program.

Sean

Shana Rowe

Thank you for the heads up Sean!!!

Karin Kuhlmann

But Sean, please keep in mind that some of us make promotions at this time, with direct links from e-mail campaigns, or advertising on FB, Google+, their homepages etc. They will arrive directly at FAA...and when then the browser blocks...???

Dave Gordon

Thanks for letting us know!

Abbie Shores

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!categories/webmasters/malware--hacked-sites

John Rizzuto

Maybe something to consider for the after fact if this does occur is to consider posting a message on the homepage explaining the situation and offer the apologies of FAA and the artists that make up FAA. And offer a 10% or 15% discount code off the materials cost good until December 25th. Sort of like what the airlines do when there are issues that impact customers, even issues that are out of their control like weather issues. Could be seen as a show of good will and maybe generate some additional sales over the remaining days leading up to Christmas and make up for any lost sales or money spent on ads that were impacted by the malware warnings and down time. Just a suggestion.

Vivian ANDERSON

Being at the mercy of an arbitrary, unreachable power-that-be is completely frustrating. Thanks for the link to that forum. We are not alone obviously. Thanks for the heads-up. I mean, we at faa are not alone with this problem at google.

I know the feeling.

Michelle Calkins

Crossing fingers!

Mo T

Thank You for sharing this bad news...I'm so sorry You have to deal with this kind of stuff over and over again...It sucks for everyone...Take Care Sean and keep up the good work :)

Andee Photography

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Richard Rizzo

thanks for the heads up Sean.

Joy McKenzie

I think putting up a warning that malware was coming to this site 'soon' would make people get off the site and run for the hills immediately. I don't think explaining it would work since not everyone is computer savvy and not everyone would understand that in essence, it's more of a nuisance than something damaging to the computer you happen to be using. Just my opinion.

Christine Till

Thanks for the update.

Dan Carmichael

Good luck, Sean... with Google.

You must understand - they are the Borg. You cannot reason or communicate with them. You can only hope they assimilate someone else before they assimilate you.

To paraphrase STNG: "We are the Google. Your are irrelevant."

Gregory Scott

I wonder what happened to "Don't be evil?"

Zeana Romanovna

Sean, I just got the red flag from ESET. :( I'm sorry to impart this information.

ANA MARIA EDULESCU

Thanks for the information, Sean.

Andrew Pacheco

Thanks for the heads up, Sean. Hopefully this one blows over quick and you can come to some kind of permanent solution to prevent future issues.

Vivian ANDERSON

Removed firefox 'report sites' thingy..........all quiet now........but am sure the trouble's still there..........

yes, this is a nightmare:

I'll keep everyone updated, and hopefully, we'll avoid getting flagged this time. This is becoming a real nightmare to deal with.""

Here's how my home page/faa page looks..........so utterly wrong........

use full/res, see the differenceS..........

Cristophers Dream Artistry

Yeah I'm still getting them too.....and my art VISITS seem to be way less than usual, so I'm sure it's hurting potential sales.

Kaye Menner

@Andee
Yes, I got an email with warning date info all over the place... and it went on forever... and underneath this was your post.

I have also had a couple of garbled emails on "Comments on my artwork".

Vivian ANDERSON

Please explain why my profile page looks like in my. Post @10,15 pm post....nothing's right!

Kaye Menner

Vivian, it looks like it is Firefox related and not site related to me.... ??? You can actually 'reset' Firefox. If you want to do this, let me know, as I will have to try to remember how I did it last time!

Abbie Shores

I am trying to find out why these warnings are popping up at odd times as there is no warning here now.

Terry Rowe

I got the warning this morning by clicking on links within email notifications about discussions I'm following on FAA. I've cleared my cache, use FireFox, and my machine is not infected. I don't get the warning if I log in to FAA directly - but 50% or more of any links trigger the red box warning. This is a problem because I'm promoting the site via links to my work on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Amy Weiss

Just now got another warning after not having it all day. I'm using Firefox. :/

Penny Hunt

I still get warning when logging in just now.

Abbie Shores

How many of you are using Trend?

Amy Weiss

I've never heard of it...

Vivian ANDERSON

At last! Thanks, Kaye....this happened when I turned off Firefox warning to stop red alerts. I'd sure appreciate your help....thanks.

Abbie Shores

Thanks Amy

Viv, I am using Firefox and seeing nothing like oyu are. This could be due to an addon and, the best way to find out is to test another browser first.

If thatis clear then, go back to FF and disable ALL addons
Then switch on one at a time until you find the culprit

Kaye Menner

Vivian, I think this will get rid of your immediate issues. Of course I could not find where I saved it, so managed to remember how to do it.

When on Firefox Screen: In the top menu bar... go to Help > Trouble Shooting Information. Then you will see on the top right "Reset Firefox to its Default State".
I had no issues doing this, and it will get rid of any bad Add-ons etc. I had all sorts of things popping up on my FAA screen, but after this they were ALL GONE:)

Let me know how you go.

Vivian ANDERSON

Thanks so much again, Kaye
Will try in the morning.!
We're both crazy......it's 12.30 AM, lol
From my iPad mini....can barely see,lol

Thanks Beth, ok, as above, Cheers

Robert Kernodle

Still no issues for me. Never had an issue, and still do not have any issues.

I use Firefox browser, and Microsoft Security Essentials.

It is as though I am living on a different planet from those of you reporting malware-related issues.

Again, as a relative newcomer to these issues, I sort of get the problem now: Evil dudes are out there who like to hack into websites and attach malicious software to them, just for the fun of it, so it seems. The website can be totally innocent, but just a victim of the hackers. Is this correct?

Yours truly,

Malware Newbie

A M Johnson

@Robert Kernodle Correct. Here are a couple of links to expand on this. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hackers/ and http://tinyurl.com/bboyjj8 and http://go.bloomberg.com/tech-blog/2012-12-10-hackers-hold-australian-medical-centers-records-for-ransom/ but there are thousands more.

Again, it is not the fault of the web site that is being attacked, it is the fault of unscrupulous people that find it fun to disrupt others' lives.

Vivian ANDERSON

@Kaye, did you lose all your bookmarks,passwords? Am loathe to do that, but Beth has recommended an add-on to use prior to your fix, did you know? Did you use the add-on and then go to ff default. Sean now has a thread on ff here, FYI.

Robert Kernodle

I guess it's best not to have ANYTHING online that you cannot tolerate being corrupted. But then you forgo living, as life is defined today.

Kaye Menner

@Vivian, no, I did not lose any bookmarks or passwords and have done this twice now. It is probably an add-on causing this, and I think this will get rid of add-ons. It got rid of things like SweetIM Toolbar, etc., but all these you can get back if you want.
I was getting adds popping up on my FAA screen and underlined links leading to adds in text on FAA even in messages like this.
I did not lose anything that I needed.
A computer friend of mine once suggested to try to avoid add-ons as they often created problems.
Sorry I am not explaining this all that well.
It does send a back-up file which I have not needed.

You could initially try what Beth suggested, but if all else fails, try this. Best thing I ever did!

PS After typing this the first time, I went to submit and got the dreaded red screen! so my message was half deleted (I had saved the first half)!!

Trever Miller

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Terry Rowe

Took me ten minute to login this evening to FAA - Malware warnings kept blocking me every time I went to artist login. My machine is clean, I've cleared my cache. Using FireFox on a Mac.

Lauren Hunter

Boy... this malware warning is getting OLD! Shame on Google - almost like sabotage! I can only imagine how many sales may have been lost because of this false alarm! I still have to go through the "routine" to even enter my site - it hasn't stopped! Extra work to sign in and participate! Google is on my ---- list for sure!!!

Dave Gordon

I'm on a mac - working fine for me on both Safari (6.0.1) and FF (17.0)

Vivian ANDERSON

Thanks Kaye......Beth's advice worked completely. I am sorry you're getting what I went through too, but the red alert has gone now, by adding www.finartamerica etc to the 'allowed' sites in security/ffx.........wishing you relief from this terrible situation. (It's exactly 12hrs since our last chat,hahaha, midday now!)

Kaye Menner

Vivian, glad it worked. It was a month or so ago I had the pop-up adds on my page.
I will also add the faa site as "allowed".
How time flies... off to work soon.... then all of a sudden it will be midnight!!

Abbie Shores

This happened a few days ago.

We are now not experiencing this at all. Google cleared the site quickly

If you now see an alert message please read http://fineartamerica.com/showmessages.php?messageid=979021

There are now no alerts

Sean will open a new post if this is going to happen again.....hopefully this will never happen again!!!