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Websites Hacked in Fasthosts Attacks

On November 30 this year, the UK-based Fasthosts Internet (fasthosts.co.uk), a web hosting provider, declared that it has decided to change the passwords of some of its customers when its servers were breached and account information was hacked.

Fasthosts is known to be UK's largest Web hosting company. It has accepted that many customers' FTP spaces were hacked because the fallout from last month's major hack on its system still prevails.

The company, which also offers business ADSL and in mid-October, informed its customers about the details of hacking and directs them to change their e-mail, FTP passwords and control panel. As per a statement made on November 29, 2007, few customers who didn't make any change in their passwords experienced a hacking in their FTP space.

The company statement also informs that the breach was discovered during a system-wide external security audit.

A spokesperson of Fasthosts said that this damage may cause a change in the home page of a site or it can upload some files to the FTP space without any visible effect. He also said that Fasthosts is presently negotiating and working with these customers for resolving any outstanding technical requirements, as told to ZDNet.co.uk on November 30, 2007.

Fasthosts informed its customers by mailing that on November 30, 2007, to ensure safety for all the customers, they have deployed an automatic password change for all SQL or FTP passwords or control panels which were not previously set. This mail also claims that within ten days, Fasthosts will be able to reset all the unchanged mail passwords, as per the news by PC PRO on November 30, 2007.

The statement also says that on November 30, 2007, the affected customers will get their new passwords through Royal Mail and they will also be informed about all the changes and what they are required to do.

Some people have complaints that their sites have gone down and one PC PRO reader comments that he is not at all impressed with Fasthosts because his company's site is down for three hours or more with Fasthosts switchboard jammed and nothing substantial has been done about it.

Companies are working hard to secure their customer information from hacking. Though no law about data breach is there in this country, organizations are making their own to avoid any threat.

Related article: Websites – The Latest Weapon in The Hands of Phishers

» SPAMfighter News - 12/13/2007

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