NEW YORK - If you're running the Drupal Content Management System on any of your websites its time to ensure you've updated its core as soon as possible. On March 28, 2018, an announcement from Drupal detailing a severe core vulnerability was released. The vulnerability allows an attacker to potentially compromise an entire site running most older and many newer versions of the CMS such as releases within versions 6, 7 and 8. There are a list upgrades and patches available … [Read more...]
Another 150,000,000 Users’ Data Breached via Free Smartphone App ‘MyFitnessPal’
NEW YORK - On March 29, 2018, athletic wear company Under Armour® has announced that an unauthorized party gained access to the data tied to its free smartphone app, MyFitnessPal. The data breach, which took place late February 2018, affected approximately 150 million user accounts. Account data which is related to the breach includes users: Usernames Email addresses Hashed passwords The company is urging its users to update and change passwords for any other … [Read more...]
An Unbiased New gTLD Case Study is Coming; Not Sponsored, Supported or in Anyway Influenced by Any Registry
NEW YORK - I'll have an interesting new gTLD case study coming in the next few days to a week or so. It’s going to be great, because I think it’s going to work. I think the position of the website in Google is going to improve greatly by doing nothing else but changing the URL to a new keyword rich gTLD. If I'm wrong I will have wasted another $150 on gTLDs, but either way I will learn and so will you. Now if you follow my updates you will be aware that I am usually more of … [Read more...]
Ad Revenue Down? Here’s the Latest Things That Could Be Affecting Your Revenue
NEW YORK – You might say that declining ad revenue is becoming a typical part of the business; if you feel like you are constantly trying to find new ways to build both revenue and traffic on your domains while increasing the number of channels and ad networks you rely on, you’re far from alone. Publisher revenues are being squeezed across the board, and while sometimes you might even feel that the more web traffic you build, the less it pays out – you’re probably correct in … [Read more...]
Removing WhoIs Data from Public View Only Removes Transparency from the Net
NEW YORK – There has been no shortage of Data Privacy Leaks in the world; it almost seems like there is a new one every day. However, removing the public registration data behind all domain name registrations makes no-one any safer, and only adds more obscurity and complications to the business for those who buy, sell and trade online, and not just in domains. It’s more a solution that’s looking far-and-wide for its problem. For instance, when someone registers a domain … [Read more...]
The Question Is Not “If” You’ve Been Compromised; It’s How Many Times?
NEW YORK - If you haven't done business with one of the companies in this extensive list, you probably do not live on planet Earth with the rest of us. In other words, if you are reading this article, more than likely, despite all of the precautions you might take, your personal information has already been compromised. Below is a list of 245 instances of data breaches all over the world; those that have been reported. Keep in mind that many data breaches are never … [Read more...]
15 Minute Hot Seat with Mark Zuckerberg on Cambridge Analytica Data Privacy Breach
NEW YORK – Yesterday, March 21, 2018, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, sat with CNN Money’s Laurie Segall in a candid, and what appeared to be a difficult interview to answer tough questions on Facebook’s position in regard not only to the recent leaks related to the user privacy breach caused by Cambridge Analytica, but also its position on whether or not it’s platform has been used to influence past elections and what the company is doing to avoid this type of … [Read more...]
Orbitz, AmexTravel; Victims of Latest Data Breach Effecting 880,000 Customers
NEW YORK - If you travel and like to use third party travel sites to find discounts you may be one of the latest co-victims of a data breach by hackers which compromised near a million customers who use online booking services. According to Norton Internet Security, Orbitz, which has been owned by Expedia since 2015, released information regarding two separate data breaches tied to an older web site platform that effected partner bookings including AmexTravel.com; the … [Read more...]
Who Is and Who Isn’t: ICANN’s Registry Agreement Termination Information List
NEW YORK - In light of another three to be cut, let's take a look at Who's pulling out, of the WhoIs, entirely. The following is a list of new gTLD operators who have decided that running their own dots is not something they wish to pursue and have notified ICANN, The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, of their intent to cancel and withdraw their Registry Operator Agreements. For supporting documentation you can visit ICANN's Registry Agreement … [Read more...]
Got Traffic? There’s a New Sheriff in Town
NEW YORK, NY – If you have become accustomed to following my Internet ramblings, you’ll have heard me talking about overall declining Google Traffic and the heavily improving Facebook referrals I see while monitoring websites. Today, I figured I would share an example with you, because often ‘images speak louder than words’, and while I find myself with some extra time today, why not share a screenshot? If you are not yet focusing your efforts on Facebook and are still … [Read more...]
GDPR: The Entering of a New Era; User Data Privacy and Protection; Are You Ready?
NEW YORK, NY – The clock is counting down on a new set of rules to be enforced this May, which will affect not only UK based businesses, but all businesses operating in the digital realm, in the event they handle user data from UK based residents, to near any extent. There is a lot of preparation going on right now, and has been over the last year, in anticipation of these new rules. Some businesses may even disappear altogether. I for one, actually shut-down and sold-off … [Read more...]
Wouldn’t You Gladly Give-up a Little Bit of Privacy for So Much Better Security?
NEW YORK, NY – Imagine a World in which you allowed, or even specifically created your own little environment where all of your private communications and discussions could be monitored and recorded; all day, every day, till the end of time. Sounds like something you would never do? Welcome to Google Assistant; ready to help you wherever you are. Your one Assistant extends to help you across devices, like Google Home, your phone, and more. Who owns Google these days … [Read more...]
Internet Veteran, Nat Cohen Discusses His Experience and the ICA with NamePros
NEW YORK, NY – Nat Cohen, an Internet entrepreneur who began his 20+ year journey in domain investing back in 1997, sat with popular domain name forum NamePros.com in a video interview conducted by domaining community speaker and moderator Braden Pollack which took place at the industry’s largest event, NamesCon in Las Vegas this past January. Worth mentioning, over 1,400 people from all around the globe gathered at this year’s event. In the interview, Nat goes into great … [Read more...]
Super Great Week for Liquid Domains Worthy of Very – Very Close Inspection!
NEW YORK, NY – The year seems off to a good - no - great start, with lots of single word .com domain names and one .org topping the charts, thanks in part to NameJet, ROTD, and the NamesCon Auction which has led to several of these closed transactions as of late. Also worth mentioning is the ‘out of the ordinary’ colossal .org sale of Star.org, at SEDO for $225,000.00 (the highest sale through SedoMLS channel to date according to SEDO’s PR and marketing team), Wow! .COM … [Read more...]
ADO Decision Is Embarrassment to ICANN; Serves as “Gift” to UDRP Reform Argument
NEW YORK, NY – There is an excellent article on Circle ID that you should read if you are interested in domain names and value them in almost any regard, especially as investments. You've probably already heard of the recent UDRP decision regarding Francois Carrillo’s ADO.com (Autobuses de Oriente ADO, S.A. de C.V. v. Private Registration / Francois Carrillo, WIPO Case No. D2017-1661) and its nonsensical determination that it should be transferred to the complainant. This … [Read more...]