CNJ site back online; cleared of malware

Staff report

The Clovis News Journal’s website, http://www.cnjonline.com, was brought back online Wednesday evening, one week following its July 8 shutdown due to malware on the site that could infect files on a visitor’s computer.

“We scanned the site multiple times, cleaned out the site,” Shawn Luscombe, CNJ web developer said. “(The virus) spreads, and we wanted to make sure we had every little bit of it eliminated before we went live.”

Luscombe said scanning has been implemented on the site that reviews all files, and the CNJ has partnered with wewatchyoursite.com. Additionally, the CNJ’s Facebook page will share a site that explains the virus and offers scanning.

“If (users) were infected,” Luscombe said, “it appears it was done through Internet Explorer. It created a cryptowall virus from click-jacking.”

The virus attached itself to links on the CNJ website. When affected links were clicked, the virus would attack editable files on computers, such as documents and photos. The virus would encrypt those files, and users would later be contacted by somebody offering decryption with a high price tag and a short window to buy.

Luscombe said users do not need to change bookmarks or homepages, but may have to refresh their browsers or clear the cache. He also suggests backing up important files on an offline hard drive.

Newsroom staff, which did not have access to the site, is in the process of posting the backlog of stories.