Cyber Attack

Although unfortunate on the one hand, it is perhaps a good omen on the other.  Grammar Captive is under cyber siege.  Certianly, it is not clearly understood whether the attack is against WordPress, and Grammar Captive is merely a source of collateral damage; or whether Grammar Captive is, indeed, the direct target. If it is the latter, then it is perhaps a compliment to Grammar Captive’s challenge to the world’s English language industry.

In any case, after the recent installation of the Matomo software, it was noticed that the subsequent placement of the opt-in/opt-out button for cookie-tracking on the Legal/Privacy panel of the Grammar Captive mainpage has led to strange behavior.  Proof of the button’s effectiveness only occurs after the appearance of an internal server error and page refresh.  Observance of this yet to be corrected, unwanted phenomenon led to an investigation that accidentally uncovered a likely attempt to crack the Grammar Captive WordPress password.

The evidence for this unfortunate attack was the many hundreds of hits within the space of a several minute interval on the Grammar Captive WordPress log-in page .  The source of the attack was traced to mainland China and the following domain was blocked:  60.223.252.6.

According to the Who Is? page of the APNIC list of registered domains the source of the attack came from the Shangxi Province.  China Unicom is the owner of the address and has been notified of the abuse.

The entire weekend was spent addressing this twin-problem and several more days will likely be required in an attempt to resolve the time and space issues resulting from the large amount of CPU time and memory that the Matomo software apparently requires  and appear to be the source of the button dysfunction.

Roddy

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Life is full of surprises. Still, you can quit at anytime, if you have grown weary of their outcome. For, after all, survival is but a first step; it is a primitive instinct that does not distinguish us, humans, from other animals. Accordingly, if it is all that you can achieve in life, do not be surprised that others treat you like an ordinary animal. Alas, if it is all there is left, and you have grown weary, it is good justification to depart. Before you go, however, look deep inside and determine if you are not the cause of your own demise. For, in the end, society owes you nothing, and even your parents are likely to forsake you, if you have not been grateful. Have you said thanks for all that you have received, and have you given in return for all that you have taken? John F. Kennedy once stated "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country". Obviously, he was not thinking of taxes, but the help that he would require to become an effective president. Little that is great can be achieved alone. Then too, it takes great leaders to motivate society and move it forward in a manner that will pave the way to a better tomorrow. The world is in need of good leaders. Maybe you are one of them in disguise. Indeed, no one owes you a living, but if people see you struggling they are apt to lend a hand. Just do not be afraid to reach out. And, do not quit, if nothing is given in return. For, many people simply do not care, and you must not let them get you down. You have a right to your own life and the pursuit of your own happiness, so do not be afraid to claim what is yours. Just do not take what belongs to others, if it not without their permission or obtained in fair competition. And, cry out when you have been cheated, but only if there is something to be gained from your cries, for few people like a cry-baby. Be judicious, strategic, and select your battles wisely. Do not waste your time with trivial injustices, for we all make errors, and we are all, therefore, subject to the injustice of others. It is the very thought of exercising my freedom of last resort that keeps me alive, for it is the comfort that I can put an end to my suffering at any time that allows me to endure enormous pain. It is what gives me the courage to fight for what is right without fear of losing. It is a powerful freedom that you should never surrender! Just do not make pain your goal, or you will surely finish a loser. Then too, never place pleasure over goodness and know to distinguish between the two. In liberty, Roddy

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