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Categories
Tag Archives: ddos attacks
How to Stop High Server Load from Distributed Botnets, Scrapers, and Database Queue Locks
When a server load spikes to 30, 50, or 100+, most sysadmins panic and start haphazardly restarting services or blocking random IP addresses. However, modern attacks are rarely as simple as a single bad IP.
Today’s botnets use distributed Layer 7 (HTTP) floods, rotating through hundreds of unique IPs with only 1 connection each, exploiting web server application queues, fake WordPress scanners, background AJAX polling scripts, and WordPress admin-ajax.php endpoints that lock up MySQL.
This comprehensive guide covers how to diagnose,
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Posted in Coding, Server Admin & Security
Tagged .htaccess, 127.0.0.1, 403 Forbidden errors, 404 errors, ajax, ajax polling, ajax requests, apache, apache rate limiting, automated system tasks, bingbot, botnets, cache, caching, cpu, cpu load, cron jobs, csf, csf whitelist, CT_BLOCK_TIME, CT_LIMIT, CT_PORTS, database polling, database queue locks, ddos attacks, distributed attack, Googlebot, high server load, http, ip address, Jeypack, layer 7, linux, load averages, mibew messenger, mod_evasive, mysql, operator refresh time, php, processes, RAM, scrapers, script, server attack, server load, server load spike, subnet attack, sysadmin commands, whitelist, whm, xmlrpc.php
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Is WooCommerce Safe? The Risks & Hidden Costs of Its Plugins
One of the biggest questions store owners ask: Is WooCommerce really safe for running an online store?
Choosing an e-commerce platform is one of the most critical infrastructure decisions for an online business. Because WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin, it is often the default choice for launching a store. Its massive ecosystem of themes and extensions offers immense flexibility, but that fragmentation comes with significant compromises in performance, security, and long-term costs.
If you are considering WooCommerce - or
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Posted in Ask David!, Compare Website Builders, E-commerce
Tagged bloat, compatibility issues, data breaches, ddos attacks, e-commerce app, e-commerce features, european union, fraudpayment gateway security, gdpr, general data protection regulation, online store, phishing, plugin compatibility, plugin vulnerabilities, regulatory compliance, resource intensive, safe, search engine optimization, seo, third party plugins, third-party plugin, woocommerce, woocommerce safety
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The Bluesky Blackout: Why Your Digital Presence Needs a Home Base
If you’ve been on Bluesky lately, you’ve spent more time looking at blank screens than actual content. On April 16, 2026, yet another major outage - this time triggered by a massive DDoS attack - left thousands of users staring at empty feeds.
It’s easy to dismiss this as just another tech glitch. But if your online presence lives entirely on a third-party platform, a "failed to load" message is more than a nuisance. It is a blackout. It is
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