- AVAST had the best success rate
- Antivir detected it
- AVG was hit and miss depending on whether you used iexplorer or another browser like Mozilla Firefox.
- Spybot did not detect
- Kasperski did not detect
- My international host/server's anti-virus software did not detect. When given the symptoms, a switched on technician did
Mobile phones appear to be programmed differently and detected internet irregularities sooner.
We attempted to clear the viruses and re-upload the site. In the attempt my web developers computers were compromised.
They crashed and the hard drives had to be reformatted. In the process, the Joomla sites he hosts were infected.
I attempted to download what was supposed to have been a secure restore folder for my website from my server/host. It was not.
I now have a new hard drive as my operating system was compromised.
To stop the virus infecting my readers computers further, I deleted FLYGIRL. It went off line close on two weeks whilst I travelled back to South Africa and we sorted out our now infected laptops and computers.
In that time, something inexplicable happened. The virus disappeared without trace from the restore folder that held my entire website data. There were some files and photographs missing, but most of it was there and virus free. We cannot explain it.
01 November we revived FLYGIRL for the second time through my host. Our numerous virus scans show that the website has remained virus free so far. In the meant time, Google removed all traces of FLYGIRL links to protect is search users. From being number one on the hits search, FLYGIRL barely exists. My apologies to my advertisers.
On the other hand, I must thank the Hacker. The incident has afforded me the opportunity of looking at FLYGIRL differently. I was identified strongly with the website. There was so much of me in it. People believed that the FLYGIRL they read about was the Flygirl they would one day meet. But this is not the case. The FLYGIRL website is but one aspect of me, a product of my mind. I am not my mind. My mind is but a tool, the website a means of communication.
In the Kimberly's (north west Australia) I had a dream. Part of that dream was that I died. (August Blog) I woke up, mildly astonished. I had never died in my dreams before. It felt strange. But I accepted what I thought was to come, my death, and walked into the desert. And out the other side.... In that time, in each moment of my day, life became simple, step by step. The Moment was everything and I felt no fear.
I read somewhere that the trick to living is to die before you die. Or maybe I remember that wrong. My thoughts anyhow are this: accept the Now, don't resist. It is the mind that resists and causes us pain. I have found that simplicity sets me free.
Instead of engaging in battle with the Hacker for the websites survival, I pulled the plug on FLYGIRL myself. I accepted its death and took it offline, deleting 4 years of stories, impressions and information.... and I was quite prepared to let it stay that way. No resistance.
In the past few weeks, I have been asked by FLYGIRL readers to please revive the website. To be frank, I did not want to. I felt free. I was free to fly, to walk, to breathe fresh air, to feel the sun, to share a cup of coffee with friends and strangers alike, to chat and enjoy new experiences, to be involved with life outside of my mind. I learnt this way of life in Australia ... and I like it. It suits me.
But perhaps there can be a compromise. If my web developer and hosts can keep what we have of FLYGIRL secure, I will leave FLYGIRL on the internet as a source of information. I am at present primarily fixing lost files and updating sponsored pages (Accommodation, Services. etc) Should I secure sponsorship for events like competitions, I will enjoy reporting back with photographs on those competitions.
Enjoy the moment - one turn in a thermal at a time...
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