Hackers? - NOT amateur radio

The number of visitors to this blog has jumped today. 

I am not aware that my posts have suddenly attracted new people. I try to post things of interest, but I have already seen more visits today than I would normally see by teatime! I suspect, again, hackers are seeking soft targets. This happens quite often.

Sudden spike - NOT amateur radio

Just now I looked and supposedly I had more visitors than all day yesterday and it is only 0700z!

Now, it would be very nice if these were all genuine visitors, but somehow I doubt this! I shall have to check my other blogs to see if they have had similar spikes.

Yep, several of my other blogs have similar spikes, in some cases a few days ago.  Usually this is a result of hackers probing for vulnerabilities.  Go away!

Hackers? - NOT amateur radio

At the start of every month, visits to my blogs peak. These correspond to visits from a certain country in Eastern Europe. It looks like regular visits from hackers looking for vulnerabilities.

Usually, things return to normal next day. I guess if they found they were able to, they would implant links to dodgy sites or malicious software. Usually I change passwords frequently to avoid a problem.

Up to now, I have had no problems, but if you see anything unusual, that is why.

Spike in visitors - NOT amateur radio

Periodically, I wake up to see that visits to this blog have shot up. Today was a point in case: looking at the blog quite early I see the visits today are already higher than the whole of yesterday. When this happens I can usually see where these come from. Often it is hackers in Eastern Europe, but there is no evidence of this on this occasion. Maybe I have a sudden interest in what I write. Somehow I doubt this!

Hackers? - NOT amateur radio

Periodically, visits to this site shoot up, then die down again. I am sure this is not a sudden interest in amateur radio. More likely it is hackers doing their regular probing. As I have said before, I hope they go away.

Probing? - NOT amateur radio

A few moments ago I had a shock: visits to this blog are way above normal. I can only assume this a mistake or hackers are doing their usual probing.

Hackers back - NOT amateur radio

Usually early in the month visits to my blogs suddenly shoot up. It would be good to think people were suddenly interested in my blogs and this accounts for why I have already had more visitors than all day yesterday.

Sadly this not the case, and, like many bloggers, I get the occasional "probe" by hackers looking for vulnerabilities so some malicious code can be installed to steal bank details or similar from vulnerable people who click the links. Hopefully they will decide to look elsewhere soon.

I change passwords regularly to avoid these issues, but if you suddenly see odd things, you know why. As a rule never ever click links if you are unsure where it takes you. Hover over the link to see what the URL is. If it is odd, go away.

Hacker? - NOT amateur radio

Odd how some of my blogs suddenly have "amazing" posts and simultaneously I get lots of new comments and they are all just the same with the same links!

The last lot were clearly trying to drum up traffic for a blog. All these comments have now been deleted.

If you see any I missed tell me. I will not have spam comments!! Some people (or bots) really do try.

Hacking? - NOT amateur radio

For a while now, my own blogs appear to have not been the targets of hackers.

Meanwhile, far more important systems are vulnerable to cyber attacks such as the NHS, banks and our fuel infrastructure. No doubt our "back room boys" in MI5 and GCHQ and the like are keeping a more watchful eye after the nerve gas attacks in Salisbury on an ex Russian spy and his daughter.

There is little doubt that cyber warfare is a real danger to any nation these days.

They're back - NOT amateur radio

Most of my blogs have seen visits way up today. I am sure these are not people with a sudden all absorbing interest in the things I write about. Whatever, I hope they enjoy their visits and then head off to somewhere else. Most probably bots doing a regular trawl for vulnerable sites.

So far, I have had no problems, but if this or my other blogs disappear or suddenly behave oddly you will know why.

Chrome Browser?

According to my statistics, 92% of my visitors to this blog use the Chrome browser. I find this hard to believe. I wonder what you use? Maybe this is what today's hackers are using.   Blog visits are already 5 times normal!

Hackers again? - NOT amateur radio

Well, I know my blog has not suddenly attracted loads of new genuine visitors today and I note the very high visitor numbers from Ukraine. It seems more than a little co-incidental. Bots or hackers most probably doing the regular trawl.

Ukraine - NOT amateur radio

Either the people in the Ukraine have suddenly taken a great interest in the content of this blog (mainly amateur radio) or I am being targeted by hackers or bots. Yet again, visit numbers are through the roof. I find it hard to think that the numbers I normally see in a whole day have already popped in.

Hackers back? - NOT amateur radio

In the last hour or so blog visits have more than doubled.

Now, a naïve person might say this corresponds with the East Coast USA waking up and these people really enjoy the blog. Sadly, I think this explanation is incorrect and I suspect people/machines with very different intentions are peeking around again. I expect numbers will return to normal again in a few days.

Maybe the thought police have detected the word "Trump"?

Popular? - NOT amateur radio

Either I have suddenly become very popular or the bots are back! I suspect the latter. My blog visits shot up just after the USA woke up. Should this blog suddenly disappear or start producing rubbish (more than usual!) you will know why.

Back to normal - NOT amateur radio

It looks like the hackers and bots have gone away for another few weeks as blog visits were back to normal yesterday. I think there is little of interest here, unless you are a geek!

Hackers back?

In the last hour blog numbers have more than doubled quite suddenly. I am sure this is not radio hams on the USA west coast waking up! It would be good to believe this was true, but sadly I think not, HI.

Normal blog visits - NOT amateur radio

Well, visits to the blog this morning seem "normal", with numbers way down on the last few days. Perhaps the hackers and bots have finally decided there is nothing here worth hacking? Back to the usual stuff!

Still probing? - NOT amateur radio

With blog visits over 4 times the normal level at this time, I am convinced there is evil intent abroad. This peak again corresponds with high visitor numbers from Romania. I suspect Romanian bots. Now off to check my other blogs!

UPDATE 1544z:  Looked at the other blogs and visits seem normal.

Romanian Bots Again? - NOT amateur radio

Blog visits are high again and there are a lot of visits from Romania. Again, I suspect probing bots.