Armagh I hacked!! The horror of cyber-intrusion!
Good afternoon, it's Micheal with you here. To be honest, I had planned on sending this newsletter out on Monday, but it was absolute crisis time at HQ
My personal Facebook profile was hacked, as in properly attacked – complete with the Arabic profile pic and cover photo. Random friends added.
Then came the booting off of admin privileges on Armagh I – absolute panic stations at this point (all within minutes of becoming aware of what was happening)!
All but one Armagh I admin had been removed by the time I noticed the intrusion.
Fortunately, I have my wife Melany on there as a backup, and for some reason she hadn't been removed at this point so I was able to salvage my privileges. I added myself back on her phone, but by the time I got to the computer I was off again, so it was a live attack. I just had to be quicker.
Anyway, in a two-pronged attacked I was able to remove the three rogue profiles that had infiltrated the system, and make myself admin again.
The Armagh I Facebook page saved – just!
That was alright until BOOOM!!! – my bank account was haemorrhaging cash. PayPal was taking Facebook payments left, right and centre. They had hacked my very dormant Facebook Ad account and had ads set with a daily limit of £250 for the next month. Thankfully, Facebook pulled the plug on that automatically after £50+ had been spent (in about 6 minutes!!) They deemed it unusual – eh, you think!!
Anyway, panic attack aside, it brings me to a point I want to make around Facebook. For nine years we have built an audience Facebook – it has been good to us but recently it has become really unpredictable – and ultimately it doesn't belong to us. The hack was the latest wake-up call but there have been various admin bans, with little or no reasoning, in the last 12 months. Algorithm changes making it difficult to do anything and people reaching out saying they don't see us anymore; it's all out of our control. As the saying goes: "Don't build your house on rented land". We'll continue to rent there, of course, but we look at ways of building our own audience.
This is why we have built in a native commenting platform on our own site. We want to harness what we have done on Facebook, on our own website which has been there from day dot (September 2012). Here, there is no algorithm or overlord. While we have been passive in trying to get people to sign up and leave your thoughts and comments on Armagh I directly, we will be actively imploring readers to give it a go.
It's similar to any community forum – and we don't harvest your data for greater gain; we just want more people to read and interact our content without the threat of being kicked off the platform, hacked or have an algorithm dictate what people read. It's that simple.
If you like what we do, please feel free to sign up using the bell icon on the website or in the comments section below any story. You'll be really helping us.
In Business..
I had planned on speaking a little more about a couple of interviews I carried out in the last week or so but I will hold off on that until next time. A really fascinating insight into how two women are doing great things in business. We'll be doing more around this topic going forward but they'll be newsletter-first pieces so, make sure and forward this email onto anyone you think would like to sign-up for those....and the occasional ramble.
Latest roles on Armagh Jobs
BMI Trailers recruiting for Marketing Executive — armaghjobs.com
Various production roles on offer at BMI Trailers — armaghjobs.com
Southern Health and Social Care Trust recruiting Domiciliary Care Workers — armaghjobs.com
Linwoods are recruiting for an Assistant Manager of its Health Food Division — armaghjobs.com
Norbrook in Newry recruiting for Category Buyer — armaghjobs.com
Check out much more jobs on www.armaghjobs.com. Get in touch with us at Armagh I on marketing@armaghi.com to place your job ad today!
Win cinema tickets!
As always, we're giving away a pair of cinema tickets to one reader each week. All you need to do (as mentioned above) is comment at the bottom of the article with this week's listings. The winner is emailed a set of e-tickets for the following week, to be used in an Onmiplex of your choice, at a time of your choosing, and for any movie on at the time.
Win cinema tickets as Omniplex Armagh host midnight screening of James Bond’s ‘No Time to Die’ — armaghi.com
In the news..
Almac plans multi-million pound lab and manufacturing facility bringing 60 additional jobs — armaghi.com
County Armagh primary sets sights on new-build school as formal plans lodged with council — armaghi.com
Armagh man’s four months of hell after Manchester United falsely accuse him of racism — armaghi.com
Town to pay respects to Banbridge undertaker who carried on family tradition with dignity — armaghi.com
Two taken to hospital after serious collision leaves vehicle on roof at Barrack Street in Armagh — armaghi.com
Podcast: World-renowned dog trainer and behaviourist Keith Mathews – The Dog Guru — armaghi.com
In Pictures: Almost 200 gather at Armagh rally demanding ‘Time for Truth’ — armaghi.com
It’s life in the slow lane for Sophie and Josh as they buy narrowboat for their first home — armaghi.com
In Pictures: The Earl and Countess of Wessex officially open South Lake Leisure Centre — armaghi.com
‘Bizarre’ letter delivered to Councillor’s home mocking changing places campaign — armaghi.com