Dear readers: As you can see we are back but not 100%. We had to get something online in time for the polling results. This meant discarding the old site and placing something basic, but totally new. This new look is very temporary and we are now working on something better.
What went wrong? Simple answer: a combination of things – the site was hacked, viruses were implanted thereby infecting our banner ads (which was evidently targeted, the traffic was burdensome, and our servers were attacked.
Who did this? We do not know – yet, but we have strong suspects (and it is just a matter of time). However this is what a technician of our host, based in North America, had to say: “I don’t know what it is about your site but someone wants it offline. And they paid good money to have someone take it down.”
That statement says a lot. Particularly, the suspicious IP addresses were based in the US and Dominica.
Very strangely the problem with our servers ceased at around 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. However, as a precaution and rightly so, we took the decision to put aside the old site which was heavily infected and hacked.
We will basically rebuild from scratch which will not take long. We will continue to upgrade this basic site until the main one is launched in early January 2010.
I would like to thank our loyal readers and advertisers for their patience and understanding during this difficult period. We will continue to do our job to the best of the ability and continue to bring you the news as it happens, fairly, objectively and without malice.
We ask for further patience while we seek to rebuild our site.
As for our advertisers we will be contacting them this coming week to give them extra time on their advertising campaign to make up for the off-time.
Yours Sincerely,
Merrick Andrews
Publisher
Tags: Election 2009
it is so disturbing that dominican sit and accept the fact that someone paid to hack dno so the outside world will not no whats going n in dominica(i hope dno and the law sought to prosecute the person or persons involved)
Eh you in Virginia – Leave DNO alone. This site is very informative and we all look to the news as it really happens.
Don’t you the hackers have anything more constructive to do?
Anyway best wishes DNO. Happy Holidays to Mr Andrew and all the other staff members and correspondents etc.
Be Blessed DNO
ADMIN
The truth? You giving advice by telling me things you don’t know about and suggesting I am lying about my own business? LOL. Its funny, you sit here typing what you don’t know. And talking about net worth and all that crap. If I needed investors I would get them already. Man have a good day brother. Lord help us! LOL
TO: Dave Smith
From: ADMIN
When you find something better with your time, you can talk to me ok.
Merrick
Security Tips.
1.) I recommend implementing suPHP on your server , if you are hosting on shared server i recommend finding out from your server admin if suPHP is configure the server hosting your site and enable it if its not.
2.) ensure that anonymous ftp is turned off.
3.) never set any folders to (chom 777) i recommend (chom 644) on files and (chom 755) for folders
Dominica News Online big up to you!
Why are they trying to shut you up?
Your are our means of knowing what’s happening as it happens in Dominica.
Thank you for your good work.
WE LOVE YOU!
GOD BLESS YOU
YOU SHALL NOT BE MOVED!
Welcome back DNO. Top site, second to none and I am not just saying that to be nice. It’s the truth. The people who took down your site feel threatened by your popularity and effectiveness. The people who attacked the site did not achieve anything. The temporary absence has made the readers love the site even more. Is there some kind of heavyweight political conspiracy behind the attack?
This site tends to be very popular. I visited some of the other sites for the other OECS members and paticipation seem to be very low. I read DNO more than any other site on the net. I look forward with great expectation to see what is going to turn up. I find the whole thing is very vibrant.
I am a Dominican who live abroad. The manner in which the news, comments and events appear every day creates the illusion of actually being in Dominica. A whole cross section of Dominican society is represented. All the politicians and professional people read DNO. I think DNO is on the way to becoming an institution. To some people for whatever reason that’s a threat.
No amount of attacks will ever be successful against this site. To whoever did this attack, the DNO readers will patiently wait for the site to be fixed.
Happy Holidays DNO.
IownedU………. man plz u dont own nobody ur just plain ignorant,,,,,,stop with the Salaam Alaikum, because u dont mean that. u preaching peace but u declaring war
I am happy for just the temp. site. I save $3.00 everyweek. Beats buying the papers. Wish you and the DNO staff seasons greetings and a Blessed New year.
uwp started bringing plane loads of dominicans back to vote, now they are complaining boo hoo hoo to you. american jews go all the way to israel to vote by plane loads. you see any americans complaining. you have the power to change it if you can. some people complaining about skerro and corruption why haven’t they take him to court. if you cannot prove it pax bouche. skerro put the opposition to sleep then wake them up in a daze
Wow… I am that important to be getting this attention?
…..
the rooster has come back to roost.
As Salaam Alaikum.
Admin.. Great job u do.. this site is like my hot chocolate in the morning and my tea in the afternoon and late nite snack before bed. and to those who got negative things to say .. do u ever stop and wonder y u never get to where you going? well its because u keep yourself back with all da BS u speak and eminate!
Keep doing the good work DNO!!
What part of Dominica are you from Mr Andrews? And are you based in the States or DA, because the news are always fast and current.
Good Job and I hope that you bring the hackers to justice.
In my view this was also an attack on the DIASPORA, as we are called, but I say DOMINICANS, leaving abroad. That has been my source of up to date (almost real time) information from home and other members of my family. I must also register my thanks to the DNO for providing that service which I notice is used just as much by dominicans at home. It’s unfortunate some mischief maker(s) sought to try to destroy this medium of information. I hope like in other cases I have been hearing about, regardless of who the perpetrators are, will be dealt with in the way the deserve. Keep up the good work DNO.
Well well well..I am very sorry about this….DNO dont worry U guys r doing a great job… As the saying says U cant keep a good man down….No matter what they try ..they cant Keep U guys down…and is more power to you guys..
Peace my brothers keep doing wht U guys r doing..its appreciated by more ppl than U know…wish i could get my hands on those ppl to personaly deal with them…But God dont like Bad so he will guide U guys safely
Never mind the Political stuff, one side thought you were siding the other & vice-versa, it’s over now.
? to Admin…..Can you ask your techs if there’s a way to reply to incoming DOS attacks with DOS attacks of your own? so the same guy will never try it again:-)
ADMIN
Why don’t you identify yourself? You hide behind a computer lol.
……
I’ve redeemed myself, I say this is Justice,
As Salaam Alaikum
hee heee heee heeee
way to go, DNO. couldn’t move the ‘mountain’, so y’all went around it…… that’s showing ’em…….
good for you!!!!! that’s what i’m talking about!! guess someone wants to silent the good people who communicate through this site!!!
hmmmmm.. hope the real culprits will be identified… in the mean time, report on, DNO!!!!
PEACE!!
Wow!! Itsgood to know that you are back. Im addicted to the site. By the way you are hottt
It is a sad state of affairs that people resort to this type of degradation.
NEG WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN,
ANYWAY TO THE ADMIN I WISH I COULD HELP YOU BRING THIS SITE BACK ON FASTER THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK I KNOW IT TAKES LOTS OF TIME TO BRING THIS SITE BACK AND TO KEEP YOU RUNNING,
THANK YOU
THANK YOU
MUCH LOVE
can you set up shields against hackers?
I am so sorry. It was actually refreshing to read the news daily. This was my connection to home. I am impatiently waiting for you to be operating @ 100%
Question: will my computer be also infected because I logged to your site when you were infected?
What do I do?
ADMIN
No you won’t.
Have you reported this to the OAS election observers?
For Dominica’s sake please do
U GUYS ARE THE ONLY NEWS SOURCE I FIND TO BE ON POINT, DELIVERS THE NEWS ACCURATE AND UN-BIAS. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!! DON’T ALLOW IGNORANT AND SMALL MINDED INDIVIDUALS TO HINDER THE GREAT WORK THAT IS BEING DONE HERE. I HAVE BEEN A DNO FAN FROM DAY ONE AND I WILL CONTINUE COMING TO THE SITE ON A DAILY BASIS TO KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS. NO OTHER DOMINICAN SITE CAN BE PUT ON THE SAME LEVEL AS DNO.
BTW SHABIN SHUT UP! WHAT HAVE U DONE FOR DOMINICA LATELY? TYPICAL PEOPLE THEY PUT U DOWN BUT CAN’T DO ANY BETTER………………U DOMINICANS TAKE POLITICS TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL….NOT ONE OF THESE SO CALLED POLITICAL LEADERS IS WORTHY OF RUNNING A COUNTRY. ALL OF THEIR SPEECHES WERE RUBBISH BUT THEN AGAIN IF U KNEW ANY BETTER U WOULDN’T HAVE MADE SUCH AN IDIOTIC COMMENT TO THE ADMIN!
RIP i don’t think an ISP will give out that information unless ordered to by a law abiding facility plus DNO would need hardcore evidence to place a charge against anyone.
Shabin DNO is not a personal blog but a business that costs a lot of money to run can you imagine someone breaking into your home and set it on fire and when you come home you barely get a chance to save a few things. And please think before you speak and tarnish the name of the UWP
It is unfortunate that some entity would try to put the Kibosh on DnO. It is obvious that the incident on your website was not the result of a single individual, but from the collaboration of a divisive group. Just remember that you are making a difference and some organization feels threatened.
Is there anything we can do to help speed up your return to normal operation?
ADMIN
Yes. Any help is welcome. Email us at [email protected]
you was taking the censorship to far especially when it was something said against the uwp.try to be more partial thats the only way you gonna last.
ADMIN
We will last don’t worry about that with your BS about censorship. Do you know the meaning of the word? Why don’t you put up your own site and then feels what it is like then you will understand.
I like the new look though…nice and simple
seems like DNO was also DDOSed. Due to the periodic unresponsive times when trying to access the site before it was taken down. What you could maybe do with the suspicious IP addresses is Contact their ISP and have them check their Net logs etc..
To dominicanewsonline, i must congratulate u all for the wonderful job u have been doing.I am super elated cause u are keeping the people of Dominica and the world what is happening in the beautiful nature Isle of the Caribbean.May God bless you all and continue to do the good works.
The level of democracy in any country depends on the amount of freedom the press has.
This is sure disappointing. Political affiliations aside, no person who calls him or herself Dominican should wish to see this site cease to exist. Yet I cannot see why foreign persons would feel threatened by your presence to the point where they would go as far as this. Your continued existence has on many occasions been the only source of news regarding whats happening in Dominica to me and hundreds of others like me who no longer live at home. I have found this site to be informative, refreshing, mature and impartial, and to a significant degree it diminishes the feeling of homesickness associated with being away from home.
My wish is that you will catch up with the perpetrators. My hope is that you will continue to serve us for many more years with the brilliance and dignity that you have demonstrated to us in the past.
Wishing you all at DNO the very best during this Christmas season and a bright and progressive 2010.
Post-installation
For security reasons it is suggested to change permissions to conf.php file – chmod 644.
After installing **v*o we highly recommend you to rename or delete /install folder from your server due to security reasons.
Also, you might check the Security page for post-installation tips on tightening up your installation.
Renaming ‘admin’ folder
You need to change the name of the folder called ‘admin’ to anything you want.
When renaming admin, you also need to update conf.php file:
define(‘**V*O_FS_ADMIN_DIR’, ‘admin/’);
Its in the user manual for the **v*o installtion
Okay then my suspicion is confirmed also i just checked on something which states how you could have been hacked.
Admin:
Email me at [email protected]. I would like to know more.
I actually thought all you bandwidth was over the limit since I thought many persons was coming to get the updates on the election results.
I only have one question was the US address that attacked you located in “Virginia”?
ADMIN
Yes to your answer.
question. i dont want this printed. will we be able to access information which was there before your site broke ddown. thanks
ADMIN
Yes, but not until January 2010 when the permanent version is published.