September is a great time to “Spring Clean Your business” and give it that spruce up you’ve been meaning to do. Every business needs to step back from time to time and look at their website, Facebook page, branding and infrastructure to see what needs changing or improving.

Little Hero Business Solutions love nothing better than to help businesses get to where they need to be so the team have decided that the month of September, the first month of spring is the perfect time to freshen up and spring clean your business.

Every day in September we will be posting a sale or promotion on our Facebook page and blog. Some days we may post just 1 promotion, other days there may be multiple posts. Each post and offer will be different, different start and close times, different offers, length of the promotion and different terms of use. There will be something for everyone from design to hosting and everything in between, yes even for our existing clients!

We are super excited about this promotion and hope you will love it too!

The post Spring Clean Your Business appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.

Little Hero Hosting & Little Hero Designs currently have opportunities for the right people to join our team. To read more about the positions available please head to http://www.littleherohosting.com/positions-vacant/

We are so excited that we are expanding our team and look forward to receiving your applications.

Good luck to those who apply!

The post Positions Vacant appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.

A Disqus vulnerability has been found which affects users whose hosts are running outdated versions of PHP, this vulnerability has been brought to everyone’s attention by the team at Sucuri.  Disqus is a popular commenting WordPress plugin with thousands of users across the globe.

While the flaw itself is very dangerous, it may only be triggered on servers using WordPress with PHP version 5.1.6 or earlier. This also means that only users of WordPress 3.1.4 (or earlier) are vulnerable to it as more recent releases don’t support these older PHP versions.

It is recommended that all Disqus users upgrade to the patched version of 2.7.6. Don’t forget to also make sure WordPress and all plugins are updated.

It’s also a timely reminder to make sure your host is keeping their software such as PHP up to date. You can see your version of php in your cPanel on the sidebar with other statistics. If your host isn’t running current versions of PHP then it is time to ask some serious questions about their suitability for your needs. Outdated PHP poses not only software compatibility issues with platforms such as WordPress and Joomla which are based on PHP, but it also has the added issue but also security risks.

All Little Hero Hosting servers are running PHP 5.4.* so all our clients are safe.

The post Disqus Vulnerability appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.

The Jetpack team have released a jetpack critical security update to fix a security vulnerability in the Jetpack WordPress plugin. The vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass the site’s access control and publish posts on the site. It has been established that all versions of JetPack since October, 2012 (Jetpack 1.9) are vulnerable, and all users should update to version 2.9.3 ASAP.

Jetpack is a very popular plugin for WordPress with almost 10 million downloads, and we recommend it to all our design clients as do many other designers, so the impact of such vulnerability can be huge if users do not update immediately.

Jetpack released a statement which reads:

During an internal security audit, we found a bug that allows an attacker to bypass a site’s access controls and publish posts. This vulnerability could be combined with other attacks to escalate access. This bug has existed since Jetpack 1.9, released in October 2012.

Fortunately, we have no evidence of this being used in the wild. However, now that this update is public, it’s just a matter of time before exploits occur. To avoid a breach, you should update your site as soon as possible. (The vulnerability has been disclosed on the MITRE Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures system as CVE-2014-0173.)

This is a bad bug, and Jetpack is one of the most widely used plugins in the WordPress world. We have been working closely with the WordPress security team, which has pushed updates to every version of the plugin since 1.9 through core’s auto-update system. We have also coordinated with a number of hosts and network providers to install network-wide blocks to mitigate the impact of this vulnerability, but the only sure fix is updating the plugin.

Please make sure your Jetpack plugin is updated immediately to prevent any damage or your website being targeted. Any questions surrounding this vulnerability please contact your developer or you may contact us.

The post Jetpack Critical Security Update appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.

As widely reported there has been a serious vulnerability found in the OpenSSL library that is used to power HTTPS on most websites. The vulnerability is so big that it has even been reported on the news around the world.

We have had a lot of clients contact us concerned about the discover of the Heartbleed OpenSSL Vulnerability.

Little Hero Hosting wishes to advise all clients that upon discovery and notification of the Heartbleed OpenSSL Vulnerability that all of our servers have been patched and tested and we believe no data was compromised.

The post Heartbleed OpenSSL Vulnerability appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.

Can you believe the end of the 2013 financial year is here? No neither can we, the last 6 months have just flown by!

Everyone likes an EOFY sale & Little Hero Hosting is no different, so TODAY only we are offering 35% off all new hosting packages and account upgrades.

If you have ever thought about starting a new website or transferring your hosting to Little Hero Hosting then now is the time to take that leap. Is your site growing quickly & you need more storage or bandwidth each month, why not upgrade your package. Buy your hosting now and claim on tax this year!

The discount applies to either monthly or annual orders, it’s your choice however the discount will only be taken off for todays order not consecutive invoices.

The discount will be available until midnight 30th June 2013.

http://www.littleherohosting.com/clients/cart.php *Discount will be taken off the shown package price with use of the discount code.

The post EOFY SALE 2013! appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.

If you know me well, you will be shocked that I am writing an article on technology, let alone apps.  Here is a picture of the mobile phone that I have carried around until 6 months ago.  I loved this phone.  It didn’t have internet access, in fact, it couldn’t even take a photo.  But it fit easily into any pocket or mini purse and I could make and receive phone calls.  That’s all you need from a phone, right?

I admit I’m a slow learner.  So I’m going to give you the Most Useful and Easy Apps for the Home from my perspective.  If you search the internet, there are thousands of websites with experts telling you this and that about apps, and you need a technology dictionary to help read most of them.

I’m going to show you the easiest, cheapest and most useful apps that I have found and am currently using around the home.  If I’m using them, they must be easy to use!

As I own an android phone and tablet, my recommendations will be android based, however I have also provided an iphone option.

Groceries

In Australia, we don’t seem to have a one-stop-shop app for all the supermarkets.  The choice is for you to pick from the main supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, Aldi), or simply download a Shopping List app and go from there.

Of the major supermarket app selections, my pick is the Woolworths app, because you can also order online, it’s not just a shopping list like the others.  You can scan your item and either store it in a shopping list and/or order online and have it delivered to your door … all from your mobile phone.

Select the link below for your preferred option.

Android: Coles, Woolworths, Aldi

iPhone: Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Shopping List

Budgeting

I have a serious excel spreadsheet that monitors our budget.  In my pre-smartphone days I would take cash out each pay day for my ‘entertainment’ money, which was the best way for me to keep track of my casual spending.

These days however, I am able to eftpos whatever I like without fear of going over my allocated spend with the TrackMySpend app.

While you’re standing in the checkout line, just enter the amount of spend and it will calculate how much you have left, and how many days you have left until your next top up (i.e. pay day).  You can save your favourites (i.e. morning coffee) and with just a click of a button your spending budget will be updated.

Android: TrackMySpend [Free]

iPhone: TrackMySpend [Free]

Fashion

How often do you ask “Does this dress look nice?”, and hear in return “yes, of course” or “yes, dear”?  Wouldn’t it be great to get some honest and reliable feedback on what you’re wearing for your hot date or catch up with old friends.  What Should I Wear.com.au is the best app for this purpose!  When you’re out shopping, you can refer to what you actually have in your closet and compliment your wardrobe, rather than double up on what you already have – no more impulse buys!  It’s very addictive … you can give or get advice and also have lots of fashion questions answered by experts.

Android: WhatShouldIWear.com.au [Free]

iPhone: WhatShouldIWear.com.au [Free]

Housework / Chores

This has been referred to me by friends with older kids.  What better way to share the chores with the kids, than via their smartphone!  iRewardChart allows you to select from built-in chores or create your own, delegate and accumulate rewards.  Kids love novelty, and using their phones … iRewardChart is a great concept!  You can always use it as an adult too … no reason why adults can’t get rewards for doing the chores!

Android: iRewardChart [$4.00]

iPhone: iRewardChart [$3.99]

A simple chore app is the Chore Checklist which has pre-set basic chores to keep your household running smooth, crisp and clean.  You can add or delete chores, and set reminders to ensure none are forgotten.  It’s a great motivator and organiser.

Android: Chore Checklist [Free]

Home Renovating

We have just finished renovating our home, and I am kicking myself for not having a smartphone years ago.  There are apps which allow you to upload a photo of your room, and virtually paint it with the colours of your choice.  I feel a new “feature wall” coming on!

Dulux have a great iPhone app available, click here.

Not a great recommendation, but the best solution I can find for the Australian Android users is the BEHR app to get a good idea on how your room is going to look, and then use the Dulux Colour Schemer app (which doesn’t allow photos of your room) to try and match the colour so you can buy the right product here in Oz.

Android: ColourSmart by BEHR

iPhone: Dulux Colour Schemer

Diet and Exercise

I religiously follow the Calorie King website to monitor my dietary intake and exercise program, and don’t you know it … they have an app too!  Set your weight goal, and it will keep track of the calories, fats, carbs, protein etc in all the foods you eat and will also calculate how many calories you burn through exercise. This one I can’t use as it’s only available for the iPhone owners.  The Calorie Counter – My Fitness Pal has been recommended to me for Android users for this article … so let me know what your thoughts are on it.

Android: Calorie Counter – My Fitness Pal

iPhone: Calorie King or Calorie Counter – My Fitness Pal

Recipes

Cooking in the home is a family affair at our place.  The kitchen is the centre of our home and it’s where all the important things happen.  I am not the world’s best cook, and I will take any help where given!  I’ve recently downloaded an easy to follow recipe app, Epicurious which has over 30,000 recipes to inspire me with last minute decisions during the week or long time planning with dinner parties.  Now this is an easy, essential app to have in your home.

Android: Epicurious

iPhone: Taste or Epicurious

Do you know what I like most about Apps?  Is that App is in Happy, and that’s how I feel when finding technology that can help me around the home!

[author image=”http://www.littleherohosting.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/41e844b537cf35f7e61915fd24302bc6.jpeg” ]Hi, I’m Alison and I created Undertendollars because I enjoy sharing ideas and creating things with my family and friends, on a budget. I hope you enjoyed this article … see the Undertendollars website for more tips on saving stress, time and money. www.undertendollarsblog.com [/author]

If you would like to guest post on Little Hero Hosting please contact us

The post ~Guest Post~ Easy Apps for the Home appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.

The hackers are being smart and using what most bloggers love – comments. If you have comments enabled, the vulneranilities in these plugins can give a hacker the ability to issue commands to your server. The issue was first discovered by a user back in mid-March and highlighted on the WordPress.org forums.

We have a number of clients using these plugins which have unfortunately over the years cause a myriad of issues. I’ve seen WP Super Cache render site’s unusable and non-functional until deletion of the plugin.

Sucuri are recommending that everyone updates the plugins immediately however my personal opinion is that they should be removed and deleted from blogs.

Here are the versions of each plugin that are vulnerable:

• W3 Total Cache (version 0.9.2.8 and below are vulnerable, version 0.9.2.9 and up are not vulnerable) / upgrade here
• WP Super Cache (version 1.2 and below are vulnerable, version 1.3.x and up are not vulnerable) / upgrade here

Technical Details

The attack takes advantage of several functions in these plugins including: mfunc, mclude, and dynamic-cached-content. An attacker can execute a PHP command running on the server by pasting a comment to a WordPress blog running a vulnerable version of W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache. For example, if you are running a vulnerable version of the plugins, the following will result in your current PHP version being printed in the comment:

[box type=”warning” ]<!–mfunc echo PHP_VERSION; –><!–/mfunc–>[/box]

While this is harmless, the same mfunc call in either plugin can run other arbitrary commands on your server. This could be used to gain access to the server, execute arbitrary database commands, or remotely install malware. Again, this is a very severe vulnerability and all WP Super Cache and W3TC users should upgrade immediately (W3TC Upgrade / WP Super Cache Upgrade).

If they gain remote access to your server, a hacker can wreak havoc on your WordPress pages, ruin your visitors’ experiences, and leaving you trying to repair the damage and fallout. As we have discussed before, your site or your blog are the things which define you, introducing people to you and your niche. If your site is compromised, it can harm your reputation. If you have a business, this can be catastrophic.

Sucuri also have some other tips which include:

What To Do?

The most obvious thing is to update immediately, both pluginauthors have made changes to their core to address these issues. That in it of itself will help you. Other options include the following:

• Adding Captcha’s to comments to deter spam bots
• Ensure all comments are going through some kind of moderation
• Don’t land the comments on your server, leverage 3rd party plugins – e.g., Disqus

If you have any issues at all please let us know and we can offer tech support, don’t forget we also have our security plans with Sucuri that you can take advantage for which offers monitoring and fixes if they should arise.

If this doesn’t apply to you please make sure other WordPress users are aware of the risks.

The post WP Super Cache and W3TC Vulnerabilities appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.

Welcome to the first post in the series we are calling “Back to Basics. The idea of this series is to address common questions people ask or are confused about when considering starting a website. We will be writing the posts in non technical terms so it is easy to understand and follow. We encourage you to comment or ask questions on each post if you need clarity.

The most common question we get asked is What is Web Hosting?

Web Hosting is a service provided by a vendor or business such as Little Hero Hosting which offers a physical location for the storage of web pages and content.

A website can be made up of all kinds of data and information such as images, video, HTML, PHP, CSS files and any other content accessible through the Web including emails. To connect or have your files published on the World Wide Web (www) your data needs to be stored on a computer server which is located in a secure and climate controlled environment that is permanently connected to the internet through high speed data lines. This server space is referred to as Web Hosting.

When somebody requests a page on a website site, your computer uses various internet systems to find the appropriate web server and the server pulls the page out of its memory and sends it to your machine.  Servers are configured to be able to read all the different file types and publish them as intended by the designer or author.

In simple terms we often say to people think of hosting as a house rental scenario. You rent a house without furnishing from the landlord for a negotiated price each week, month or year. Upon signing your agreement you are then able to fill the house with your personal items. Hosting is the same, you find a host who suits your needs, and you create an account and agree to the terms and then fill it with your data.

There are different types of web hosting but they will be addressed in another post.

While you may own a domain name, without it connected to a web host your domain will be like a disconnected phone line, able to be dialled but receiving a disconnected signal at the other end. In a website’s situation you would see a page not found notice when typing in the url.

You may be asking so what is a domain name and how does it connect to my chosen host but we will address that in the next posts of our Back to Basics series.

What questions do you have about web hosting?

The post Back to Basics series – What is web hosting? appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.

Little Hero Hosting was approached by Kevin from The Illiterate Infant and asked us if we would help him out. After talking to Kevin we decided that it made good sense for him to write a post series that document his journey and experience. Over the next few weeks Kevin will be writing about his experiences which he has called “Is it time for your blog to grow up?”

 Over the coming weeks I’m going to be blogging about… blogging. Specifically about my journey moving from WordPress.com to WordPress.org (or self hosted WordPress). I’m going to have some help along the way from the lovely people over at Little Hero Hosting who will be helping me out with the move. This posting series is in someways sponsored because they’re providing me a lot of the transfer support in return for me documenting the journey.

Kevin The Illiterate Infant http://illiterateinfant.com/2013/04/29/is-it-time-for-your-blog-to-grow-up

If you’ve ever wanted to take the plunge but are nervous, reading Kevin’s migration series might help you decide if moving is right for you.

The post Watch Little Hero Hosting do a migrate to self hosted WordPress appeared first on Little Hero Hosting.