Malware at WP?
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I had two “Like” notices in my gmail that had warnings about having suspicious links and were untrusted sites. I uploaded Print Screens of these two warnings to my media files and thought you might want to check them out.
Thank you for watching out for all of your bloggers.
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hi there,
A WordPress.com account owner can link to any website they wish in their profile. The sites those users are linking to aren’t WordPress.com sites, so we have no control over anything that goes on on those sites.
An untrusted site warning also is not an indication of malware. All that means is the site at some point has been reported to Google, Mozilla or Microsoft, causing it to be placed on a watchlist and causing your browser to give you a warning when you try to visit the site.
If the site was actually known to be infected with malware your browser would have completely blocked you from visiting it, rather than giving you the option to proceed at own risk. And if it has malware but it’s not known to the company controlling your browser already, your antivirus software should start setting off alarms the moment you open the page.
I don’t see any warnings at all, in either my browser or via my antivirus, when visiting the sites linked to the accounts that left those likes on your page.
As an aside, you really shouldn’t be using Internet Explorer any more. Someone high up in security at Microsoft itself has recently said this – the only reason Internet Explorer is still around is because a lot of companies have intranet systems built to specifically work with that browser. But for regular internet browsing done by people like you and me that browser is no longer safe to use.
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Just mentioning this link https://browsehappy.com/ which should probably be revised in light of what @kokkieh mentioned. :)
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Hi Kokkieh,
First I need to apologize. When I received your reply, I replied to it with a Gmail reply. Of course it didn’t reach you. But, when I got a Gmail notice that it could not be delivered, I remembered that replies must be made directly on this forum. It shows I’m getting old and forgetful. Please accept my apology. Below is a copy of the reply I tried to make.
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Hi Kokkieh,Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate it. To a old lady like me, I’m concerned about a WP blogger using unsafe links in their posts. But, I guess that is just an oldie accustomed to an environment of more trustworthiness — and not wanting to be on a second-by-second guard. I’m really glad my browser would have completely blocked me, if those sites were infected with malware. I wonder how many potential visitors did not go to those sites because of the warning. That’s less traffic…….
I was on my Gmail account when getting those warnings — and assumed that Gmail and IE have a pretty good handle on things.
Thank you — AGAIN — for reminding me that I shouldn’t be using Internet Explorer. I really do appreciate it, and yet, groan about it. I’m really sorry about that, but feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place. I think that the “high up in security at Microsoft” should also seriously take into account that tons of people, everyday, ordinary people, prefer Internet Explorer because it is more intuitive and more decently meets the actual needs of the average Internet user. It’s like the dashboard on our cars. One can instantly see all sorts of information regarding their car’s performance. It’s always right in front of them. But, with Edge, they want a supposedly “clean” look that forces people to go through a number of steps to finally see the information they need, and still more steps to take the action needed. It’s disconcerting and totally unnecessary. If the necessary menus were in proper place — as they are in IE — people would have no problem wanting to change over to Edge. It’s the ease of accessibility that is why many like me don’t want to start using Edge. But, Microsoft has not yet listened.
To old people like me, the issue of safety is totally up to Microsoft. They have the ability — they just need to want to do it in something like Internet Explorer.
All that muck said, I still do really appreciate your advice — and still do want Microsoft to see the light of doing what’s right. When people can easily see how to do what is right on the Internet, they are more likely to do that right thing instantly. That can prevent a lot of potential problems. We’re always wanting to stay safe on the Internet these days.
Again, thank you so much for your reply. You are always helpful and appreciated. Have a truly great day.
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