Latest news with #WordPress
Techday NZ
5 hours ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Fake CAPTCHA scam targets 2,353 WordPress sites, warns CyberCX
CyberCX has issued a warning to Australians regarding a phishing campaign targeting WordPress websites through the use of fake CAPTCHA prompts. The campaign, referred to as DarkEngine, involves threat actors embedding fraudulent CAPTCHA prompts into legitimate WordPress sites, putting website users at risk of various types of malware, including information stealers and remote access tools. According to CyberCX, at least 2,353 unique websites have been identified as likely compromised by this campaign, with 82 of these belonging to organisations in Australia and New Zealand. Within Australia, the affected websites are predominantly small to medium-sized businesses, spanning a range of sectors from strip clubs to educational platforms for children. The DarkEngine campaign employs a multi-layered approach. Initially, the perpetrator creates convincing replicas of WP Engine, a management tool widely used by businesses to oversee their WordPress websites. By leveraging a technique known as search engine optimisation (SEO) poisoning, the threat actor is able to position fake WP Engine links above legitimate ones in Google search results. As a result, genuine WP Engine login credentials from website administrators can be harvested and subsequently used to take control of the affected websites to inject fake CAPTCHA prompts. The campaign's intention is to reach the vast number of visitors to these compromised websites, exposing them to the risk of malware infection through socially engineered prompts. Katherine Mansted, Executive Director of CyberCX Intelligence, commented on the sophistication of the campaign: "This threat actor is a savvy, highly capable and well-resourced financially-motivated criminal. They are operating a scaled operation here, gaining access to thousands of real websites and infecting them with malware that hits unsuspecting internet users. "Fake CAPTCHA is an increasingly common technique criminals use to infect Australians' computers with malware. They look similar to real CAPTCHAs – a way to test whether a website visitor is a real person or a bot – but prompt the unsuspecting user to run malicious commands, potentially allowing criminals to gain remote access to their computers. "Never follow a CAPTCHA command that requires you to copy and paste text and be vigilant for any unexpected downloads after completing a CAPTCHA. Along with unusual URLs, pop-ups and poorly designed CAPTCHA formats, these are the tell-tail signs of a fake CAPTCHA." The fraudulent CAPTCHA prompts associated with DarkEngine are described as a variation of ClickFix, a social engineering tactic aimed at manipulating users into executing malicious instructions. These techniques have connections to activities used by recognised financially motivated cyber crime groups. CyberCX Intelligence has stated that it has been reaching out to organisations whose websites have been affected as part of an effort to improve the security of digital communities. The organisation has provided several recommendations for website administrators and organisations. WP Engine administrators are advised to audit account activity logs for unexpected logins, particularly those originating from unfamiliar proxy services and VPNs. WordPress site administrators should check for any signs of unexpected plugins, content injections within theme files, and successful requests containing keywords such as "emergency_login", "check_plugin", and "urlchange". Additionally, CyberCX stresses the importance of educating staff about ClickFix techniques, such as fake CAPTCHA, and the risks posed by SEO manipulation potentially leading them to engage with malicious sites. Organisations are also encouraged to consider providing reputable password managers to staff, which can help alert users if the site they are visiting is not legitimate.
Time Business News
21 hours ago
- Time Business News
Essential Tips For Building A Successful Website With WordPress
WordPress is a powerful and widely used content management system (CMS) that began as a simple blogging tool but has since grown into a robust platform capable of handling nearly any type of website. From personal blogs and professional portfolios to online stores and educational platforms, WordPress offers the flexibility to create and manage diverse digital content. As of December 2024, it powered over 22% of the top one million websites globally, highlighting its widespread adoption and reliability. The fact that WordPress is free and open-source makes it accessible to beginners and professionals alike, enabling users to build fully functional websites without needing to start from scratch. Built using the PHP programming language and supported by MySQL or MariaDB databases, WordPress features a highly customizable system through its plugin architecture and themes, allowing users to tailor their sites to specific needs and styles. Themes control the visual appearance, while plugins add functionality, making it possible to integrate everything from SEO tools to e-commerce systems. To run properly, WordPress must be installed on a web server—either via a hosting provider or locally on a personal computer. Thanks to its user-friendly interface and massive community support, WordPress continues to be a go-to choice for individuals and businesses aiming to establish a strong online presence. WordPress is known as one of the most user-friendly and widely used platforms for building websites and blogs. It powers more than 43.6% of all websites on the internet, making it the backbone behind nearly half of the web. Whether you're setting up a personal blog, a business website, or an online store, WordPress provides the flexibility and tools to make the process simple and effective. Its widespread use is a strong testament to how beginner-friendly and reliable the platform is for users around the world. From a technical perspective, WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) operating under the GPLv2 license, allowing users to freely use, customize, and distribute the software. A CMS like WordPress allows users to control and manage website content—like text, images, and pages—without needing any coding knowledge. This opens the door for anyone, regardless of technical skill, to create a fully functional and attractive website. With WordPress, you don't need to be a developer to build something professional and engaging. While WordPress originally started as a blogging platform, it has grown into a powerful tool capable of creating almost any type of website. Thanks to major updates in its core software and the availability of thousands of plugins and themes, WordPress now serves as the foundation for countless websites across different industries. Whether you're an individual sharing ideas or a business reaching customers, WordPress provides the flexibility and features to support your goals. Nowadays, WordPress allows you to create many different types of websites. These include professional business websites, eCommerce stores using tools like WooCommerce, personal blogs, digital portfolios, and even online resumes. In addition, it's commonly used to create interactive communities like forums, social networks, and membership-based websites. With WordPress, the possibilities are nearly endless—it adapts to your vision, whether you're building something simple or highly complex. 1. WordPress Themes Themes let users completely change how a WordPress site looks and functions without altering any core code. You can install themes directly from the dashboard under the 'Appearance' menu or upload them manually. Themes come in two types: free (found in the official WordPress repository) and premium (available from developers or theme marketplaces). Users can also create their own custom themes or child themes to make specific style or layout changes. 2. WordPress Plugins Plugins expand the features of a WordPress website, allowing for added functionality like SEO tools, contact forms, and online stores. As of now, there are tens of thousands of free plugins available from the WordPress plugin directory, with many more premium ones sold by developers. Some plugins may not work if not updated regularly, and WordPress flags those that haven't been tested with recent versions. Developers use action hooks and filter hooks to build plugins, giving them flexibility to shape WordPress into complex applications or services. 3. Mobile Compatibility WordPress offers free apps for Android, iOS, and other platforms, helping users manage content, post updates, and reply to comments while on the move. These mobile apps are designed by Automattic and make it easier for users to interact with their sites from anywhere. 4. Accessibility and Usability WordPress follows strict accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2.0 Level AA) to ensure that its platform is usable by people with various disabilities. It supports features like smart text formatting, clean URLs, and tagging to enhance both user experience and SEO. 5. Multi-site Capability WordPress Multisite enables users to operate and oversee several websites using just one WordPress installation. This feature is ideal for businesses, schools, or organizations that need to control several sites at once through one dashboard. WordPress has gained widespread recognition as the top platform for website creation, and it's easy to see why. Whether you want to start a personal blog, set up an online shop, or build a professional business website, WordPress provides the versatility and features needed to bring your ideas to life. Its user-friendly interface, vast plugin library, and customizable themes make it accessible for beginners while still offering depth for developers who want more control. Understanding the difference between and self-hosted is crucial. takes care of hosting and maintenance for you, making it easier to get started, while self-hosted offers complete control over your website and content, allowing for greater customization and flexibility. With you gain the freedom to install any plugin, customize themes fully, and take advantage of the broader WordPress community. For most users who want flexibility and ownership, self-hosted is the better choice. 1. What is WordPress used for? WordPress is a popular content management system used to create all types of websites, including blogs, business sites, portfolios, and online stores. 2. Is WordPress free to use? Yes, is free and open-source. However, you'll need to pay for hosting and a domain name to launch a live website. 3. Do I need coding skills to use WordPress? No, you don't need to know how to code. WordPress offers user-friendly tools, themes, and plugins to build and manage your site easily. 4. Can I sell products on my WordPress website? Absolutely. With plugins like WooCommerce, you can turn your WordPress site into a full-featured eCommerce store. 5. What's the difference between and is a hosted platform with some limitations, while is self-hosted and gives you complete control over your website. WordPress continues to dominate the web development world because of its flexibility, ease of use, and powerful features. Whether you're a beginner creating a personal blog or a business owner launching an online store, WordPress offers tools and plugins that make website creation simple and effective. Its open-source nature allows for endless customization, supported by a large global community that constantly develops new themes, plugins, and updates. Choosing WordPress means gaining control over your content and the freedom to design a site that meets your goals. From SEO optimization to mobile responsiveness, WordPress has built-in advantages that help users grow and manage their online presence efficiently. As more people turn to digital solutions, WordPress remains a trusted and smart choice for building professional websites. Stay in touch for more updates and alert visit: TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Start Your WordPress Site and Slash Hosting Costs by $1,020: Here's How!
Managed WordPress hosting offers the convenience of easy setup and includes essential WordPress maintenance. Luckily, you don't need to overpay. Hostinger offers premium hosting at a very affordable price. While all plans are discounted by at least 71%, Hostinger lets you add another 15% discount. This results in staggering savings of up to $1,020, depending on the chosen plan. Below is all you need to know — you don't want to skip this. Claim Your Extra 15% Discount Now Unlock an Extra 15% Off with This Exclusive Hostinger Promo Code Gizmodo has teamed up with Hostinger for an exclusive, eye-watering offer. Namely, you can save 75% on its Premium plan, as well as 71% on Business and Cloud Startup plans. These are the resulting prices: Premium — $2.99/mo for 48 months + 3 free months — $2.99/mo for 48 months + 3 free months Business — $3.99/mo for 48 months + 3 free months — $3.99/mo for 48 months + 3 free months Cloud Startup — $7.99/mo for 48 months + 3 free months If the price still sounds unattractive, there's a nifty little GIZMODOSPECIAL coupon code available for all 48-month plan. All you have to do is click any of the blue buttons, select the plan you deem fit, and click the 'Have a Coupon Code?' hyperlink on the right. In the empty textbox, paste the Hostinger coupon code from above and press Apply. You'll that the discounted price has been slashed again by 15%. So, instead of $1,343.52 for Cloud Startup, you'll spend only $325.99 for 51 months. Premium and Business plans come with considerable discounts, too. The former lets you save $453, while the latter's savings reach $508. Don't forget that a free domain with WHOIS privacy is included, as well, so this is your only initial investment. Starting a website is cheap — you have to agree. Why Choose This Web Host? You might be wondering why Hostinger came up with the offer in the first place. Is it some kind of trick? We'd say it's because it can — there's no trickery. Users who apply the coupon code will be shocked with what they'll get. A free domain is only the tip of the iceberg. Hostinger includes a free trial of its email hosting, too. Plus, you can host from 25 to 100 websites on 25 GB SSD to 100 GB of NVMe storage. A free website migration is available. This means you can change from another host in virtual minutes. Hostinger's AI website builder is a nice addition, but there's also LiteSpeed caching for excellent speed across the board. As said, you get managed WordPress. With this feature, Hostinger manages updates and optimization for you. It also includes a free CDN, and the Business plan offers daily website backups for more hosting security. We nearly forgot a 30-day money-back guarantee. It's a nice way of letting you know you're loved and cared for. With it, you can test Hostinger for free for a month and get a refund if you don't like it. However, very few dislikeable things are there — you have to be a nitpicker to find them. Unlock Massive Savings on WordPress Plans
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Eminem didn't announce $10M investment to build stray dog rescue 'paradise'
Claim: Rapper Eminem announced a $10 million investment to build stray dog rescue facilities. Rating: A rumor that circulated online in late May 2025 claimed rapper Eminem announced a $10 million investment to build stray dog rescue facilities. For example, on May 21, a manager of the Eminem Logic Facebook page posted (archived), "SOCIAL MEDIA SHOCKER: Eminem unexpectedly announces a $10 million investment to build a 'paradise' for stray dog rescue – promising love and shelter for thousands of abandoned dogs!" The post, which received hundreds of thousands of engagements and potentially millions of views, purportedly displayed three photos of Eminem, two showing him with dogs. Many other users also shared the same rumor on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube, including some posts calling Eminem's alleged venture a "sanctuary." (Image courtesy of Eminem Logic/Facebook) However, searches of Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google and Yahoo found no news media outlets reporting about this matter. Eminem was simply the latest famous person attached to a fabricated story about an investment into building stray dog rescue facilities. The people who created these posts included photos giving off the general look of pictures generated by artificial-intelligence (AI) tools. As such, the rumor Eminem announced an investment of millions of dollars into helping stray dogs was false. A May 18 post (archived) showcasing the rumor about Eminem investing in stray dog rescue facilities featured a link in the top comment. That link led users to an advertisement-filled article on the plain-appearing WordPress blog That article falsely claimed the rapper announced the investment news on his X profile. A check of his X feed found no such posts. The inclusion of the link to the ad-filled article highlighted the likelihood that the people who create such false rumors do so with the goal of earning advertising revenue, and that they cycle through various famous people with the hope of some of the posts receiving viral shares. Snopes contacted by email a representative for Eminem and will update this article if we learn more information. Earlier in May 2025, Snopes reported about the unfounded rumor of singer Jelly Roll investing $20 million, also for a "paradise" for rescuing stray dogs. Additionally, other social media users baselessly claimed in posts, during the month of May, that various NFL quarterbacks each allegedly invested millions of dollars into stray dog rescue facilities, including Pittsburgh Steelers' Mason Rudolph, Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott. MLB second baseman Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros also appeared in a post with the same rumor. For further reading, a previous fact check examined the truth behind a rumor about a canine sanctuary existing on Dog Island — an authentic island off the northern panhandle of Florida. Bing. DuckDuckGo - Protection. Privacy. Peace of Mind. Google. Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Automattic says it will start contributing to WordPress again after pause
parent company Automattic is changing direction... again. In a blog post titled "Returning to Core" published Thursday evening, Automattic announced it will unpause its contributions to the WordPress project. This is despite having said only last month that the 6.8 WordPress release would be the final major release for all of 2025. "After pausing our contributions to regroup, rethink, and plan strategically, we're ready to press play again and return fully to the WordPress project," the new blog post states. "Expect to find our contributions across all of the greatest hits — WordPress Core, Gutenberg, Playground, Openverse, and This return is a moment of excitement for us as it's about continuing the mission we've always believed in: democratizing publishing for everyone, everywhere," it reads. Automattic says it's learned a lot from the pause in terms of the many ways WordPress is used, and that it's now committed to helping it "grow and thrive." The post also notes that WordPress today powers 43% of the web. It's unclear what has changed between then and April. However, according to sources who spoke to TechCrunch, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg explained in an internal post published last night that he wants to get a 6.9 release out this year with an admin refresh and something from the "new AI team." (The latter references this week's announcement that WordPress formed a new team to steward the development of AI projects.) "I don't think that will happen without our contributions," the post stated, according to a source familiar with the internal discussions. Insiders are speculating there's more to it than that, and various theories are being floated. Some wonder if Mullenweg was pressured into this move or if he realized that pulling back wasn't good for his business or its reputation? Others are debating if this change of heart has to do with Automattic's ongoing litigation with WordPress hosting company, WP Engine, which Automattic has called a "threat" to the WordPress community and a "cancer to WordPress." No one knows what to believe, and none of these backchannel theories line up with the officially stated reason. Automattic was asked for additional comment. Since 2024, Automattic has been engaged in a legal dispute that has to do with how little, in Mullenweg's opinion, WP Engine contributes to the WordPress project, despite its size and revenue. He sees the hosting company as profiting off the open source work WordPress is doing without giving back. Mullenweg also alleges that WP Engine benefits from the confusion between WordPress and commercial services like WP Engine. This led him to ban the company from accessing and sue in court for unauthorized trademark usage. Simply put, Mullenweg thinks WP Engine should either pay a direct licensing fee or up its contributions to the open source WordPress project, or shouldn't be allowed to use its trademark. WP Engine responded that it doesn't think it needs a license and that Automattic misunderstands trademark law, suing Automattic in return. Last month, Automattic laid off 16% of staff, saying the restructuring was necessary to be more agile and improve its productivity and profitability. The WordPress vs. WP Engine drama, explained WordPress has formed an AI team Sarah Perez can be reached at @sarahperez.01 on Signal and sarahp@ . This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
