Drupal

Successful cyber criminals are very good at what they do. That’s why millions of people each year get their identity stolen online and thousands of businesses are swindled by fraudulent internet shoppers. It doesn’t matter what kind of website you run, you need the proper security.

Just last Tuesday, March 2nd, Spanish police busted a ring of computer hackers who were responsible for infecting 13 million PCs with a virus that steals sensitive data from people, e.g. credit card information and social security numbers. The three men responsible are suspected of running the Mariposa botnet, which has infected PCs via Internet Explorer in 190 countries and more than half of the world’s 1000 larges companies, including at least 40 significant financial institutions. Three men. 13 million computers. Very good indeed.


Q: How are you locking your website’s proverbial doors at night?

I know that you may think this analogy may a bit silly and cliché, since hackers can strike at any time of day, through any cracked window, unsecured page, and dripping link. But it is a very important question, especially when someone’s business and financial well-being is at stake.

Allow me to reiterate: Three men, using a Microsoft browser, infected 13 million computers with a virus that steals your life. And how many aspiring hackers are there now that were just inspired by the Danny Ocean of Spanish cyber crime?

When you are building a website in Drupal, or any open source content management system for that matter, “hack-proof” security is absolutely essential. Which is why I hope you are reading this post before having a security issue, rather than after. Either way, you can relax now – this is a safe place. Take your time, enjoy your coffee, and review the following Drupal website security guide. Read more »

This week I changed my focus with the Volacci SEO blog: fewer posts, deeper thoughts. While there will now be only three posts a week (M/W/F), the posts will be longer, more insightful, and, hopefully, more valuable to you.


With so much news occurring in and around both the Drupal and SEO communities every day, I want to bring both worlds together in a verbal Venn diagram of sorts each Friday for you to easily digest. And I will call this informational hybrid: This week in Drupal SEO News. Read more »

Facebook and Twitter are in the business of building social communities and interactive brands, and business is currently booming. Through these social media channels, brands and businesses engage with their target audience at nearly every click-through, profile search, and touchpoint. And potential consumers are letting them in to connect emotionally deeper than ever before.

The traditional lines of consumer-brand relationships have been blurred, erased, and redrawn with online communications. There was once a time when radio spots, television commercials, and magazine print ads were an advertising and marketing tri-force of reach, frequency, and exposure. Now, the internet is opening new communication channels and creating a new kind of society: an online society built around friendships, fan-hood, and fun.

For more information on how to better market your Fan Page, install Facebook Google Analytics, and recommended Drupal Facebook modules, join me after the jump. Read more »

It’s been a busy week at the Volacci news desk and I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t tell you about the juiciest morsels. News about Drupal 7.0, the Open Source industry, and a big efforts-merger between a search and social media goliath are making a huge pile of fresh, “like-new” smells on my desk. But enough about my breakfast, check out today’s main attractions, after the jump... Read more »

Open source is quickly becoming the success story of this decade, and we are only two months into it! The momentum actually started a few years back with the Internet’s takeover of the first world’s attention, but I don’t think Dries Buytaert is complaining much. There are several different content management systems available to build your website with, but each one has their subtle differences.

At Volacci, we are convinced that there are content management systems, and then there is Drupal. Drupal stands out as a superior CMS experience for a host of reasons and I’m going to talk about five of those today, after the jump... Read more »

If Drupal held an annual NBA-like All-Star Game for its modules, Mollom would be the LeBron James on the roster. And if you have yet to download and configure Mollom, then you just found out why your website hasn’t ever made the team.

Drupal’s Spam Blocker

The Mollom module is “a one-stop solution for all spam problems” and offers:

• CAPTCHAs - both image and audio

• User reputations

Also, while not busy fighting crime, the module can:

• Block comment form spam

• Block spam on any node form, such as forum topics, stories, pages, and more

If your Drupal website allows anonymous users to post comments, fill out contact forms, or post in any other way, Mollom is a MUST. It is a piece of cake to set up, doesn’t require development knowledge, and is very non-intrusive. Sound familiar? There is even better news on Mollom, because a new version (1.11) has been announced with tons of new features that your Drupal site will want to have immediately! Check them out after the jump... Read more »