ancestry.com targeted by attackers
brenda kellow
june 29, 2014
Ancestry.com is having continuous problems with an attacker since Monday, June 16. The first attack came around 1:30 p.m. Their problems stretch to two other of their sites. They do have a message on their site entitled “Service Alert,” http://help.ancestry.com/app/answers/detail-announcement/a_id/5587/session/L3RpbWUvMTQwMzMwNTU0NS9zaWQvcmNual9qWGw%3D, and I have printed it below.
Service Alert
Around 1:30 p.m. MT on Monday, June 16, 2014, attackers targeted Ancestry with a Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS). The Ancestry websites are still recovering from this attack.
Family Tree Maker Search and Tree Sync features have been disabled until site stability has been fully restored. Our team is actively working on restoring these to full service.
Thank you for your patience as we continue to work through bringing the sites back up to full capacity.
The three major genealogy web sites having server problems still are Ancestry.com, Genealogy.com and FindAGrave.com. These sites are owned by Ancestry.com. Most likely all these are probably hosted from the same data center.
WORLD LEADER IN FIELD OF DNA: Family Tree DNA of Houston is the leader in the processing of DNA test kits for genealogy. Over the Father’s Day weekend, Family Tree DNA processed 1,000,000 DNA test kits for genealogy and anthropology purposes. Their testing is the widest in the field. Their price of $79 was certainly lower than the regular price. The Family Tree DNA home page is at www.familytreedna.com/products.aspx. My inquiry on the subject was answered by Bennett Greenspan, who is also a national speaker on DNA. My thanks to David Pitts for sending me this link to renown DNA speaker Bennett Greenspan’s online video on Outstanding presentations at the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) Jamboree 2014. Just click on http://new.livestream.com/wab/scgs-embed/videos/53183447 to hear his talk.
IRISH ANCESTRY TALK ONLINE: There is an online video by Maurice Gleeson regarding Irish ancestry research on the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) Jamboree 2014 website at http://dnaandfamilytreeresearch.blogspot.com to hear this talk. If you are interested in Irish ancestry, then you will want to hear what Maurice Gleeson has to say regarding this subject online at.
DAVID PITTS’ DNA PRESENTATION ONLINE: David Pitts Power Point DNA presentation he made at the Genealogy Friends’ Saturday Seminar in May is on line for you to download, compliments of David and Genealogy Friends at, www.genealogyfriends.org/uploads/1/0/4/6/10468504/dna_talk_2014_copy.pdf.
BARBARA RUST SPEAKS ON NATIVE AMERICAN ANCESTORS: On July 19, Barbara Rust from the National Archives in Fort Worth will speak on Native American Research from 10:30-12:30 p.m., in the Program Room of the Haggard Library, located between Park and Parker on Coit Road. Her information is always professional and truly beneficial to researchers. For information see the website at www.genealogyfriends.org, or email [email protected]. All Saturday Seminars are free to those interested in genealogical research and a great opportunity for networking with other genealogists. Afterwards, attendees are invited to continue networking during lunch at TGI-Friday’s on Preston Road, between Park and Parker.
FAMILY HISTORY CENTER ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Once again, the Family History Center holds its annual conference at the LDS Church, 2700 Roundrock Trail. This is there eleventh year! The Keynote speaker of the October 18 conference is Grant Skousen, Eser Experience Manager, Family Search International. The session topics and presenters are posted online at www.greatfamilysearch.com as well as the conference flyer and registration forms for you to download under the Forms tab. Although the conference is free, you must register and pay $10 in advance for the delicious Kuby’s box lunch and $2 for the complete syllabus on CD. The lunch box and the syllabus CD need to be ordered by the preregistration deadline of October 10. Send checks to: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Plano Texas Stake, 2700 Roundrock Trail, Plano 75075. Registration Packet pick-up begins at 8:30 and Conference begins at 9 a.m. The conference is sponsored by the Lewisville, Plano and Richardson Texas Family History Centers.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].